Smash Wars II: Attack of the Clones
by KEFWorldChamp
Summary: Star Wars with a SSB:M Twist. An assassin has been hired to kill Senator Zelda. While Marth tracks down her attacker, Link protects her, and is soon staring down a forbidden path.
1. Old Friends

**A/N:** For everyone who enjoyed my rendition of Episode I, I have given you Episode II. Of course, Episodes III, IV, V, and VI will all come in time. If you want to know who's who so far, I encourage you to take a look at Episode I; it's still up on the board. As for my loyalists, Here are some new characters. My choices for Captain Typho, Bail Organa, and Count Dooku!

**D/C: **As I said before, Super Nintendo owns Smash Bros. and Star Wars is owned by George Lucas. They're already loaded, and I think they can do without my measly sum of 86 cents.

A long time ago in a video game far, far advanced…

SMASH  
WARS

Episode II

ATTACK OF THE CLONES

There is unrest in the Galactic  
Senate. Several thousand solar  
systems have declared their  
intentions to leave the Republic.

This separatist movement,  
under the leadership of the  
mysterious Count Mewtwo, has  
made it difficult for the limited  
number of Jedi Knights to  
maintain peace and order in  
the galaxy.

Senator Zelda, the former  
Princess of Hyrule, is returning  
to the Galactic Senate to vote  
on the critical issue of creating  
an ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC  
to assist the overwhelmed  
Jedi…

CHAPTER 1: OLD FRIENDS

High above the planet of Mute City, a Hylian stealth jet flew towards the planet being accompanied by three Hylian Starfighters. These were the types of ships responsible for the destruction of a Trade Federation Droid Control Ship ten years ago.

"Senator, we're making our final approach into Mute City." One of her guards said.

"Very good, Lieutenant." She told him. A landing platform awaited them as they came down through the clouds. The Hylian stealth landed as well as the star fighters. One of the droids from the starfighters dropped to the ground. This was perhaps the oldest and most faithful droid she owned: Mr. Game and Watch.

"We made it." A woman known as Nabooru said to the pilot in Mr. Game and Watch's ship. Aboard the stealth, an elegant woman descended the ramp with several members of her committee.

"I guess I was wrong." Nabooru said. "There was no danger at all." Nabooru spoke too soon, for an explosion rocked the landing platform, blowing the Hylian Stealth to pieces. Nabooru's other pilot ran down to the downed women and removed _her_ helmet. Whoever set this up thought they had gotten Hyrule's senator, Zelda, but the one on the ground was her decoy. The _real_ Senator Zelda was the Pilot controlling the ship carrying Mr. Game and Watch.

"Sheik." Zelda said flipping her decoy onto her back.

"Milady, I'm so sorry." Sheik managed to say. "I've failed you, Senator."

"No." Zelda said. But it was too late, Sheik was gone.

"Milady, You're still in danger here." Nabooru said to her. Zelda slowly stood up.

"I shouldn't have come back." Zelda said.

"This vote is very important." Nabooru reminded her. "You did your duty, Sheik did hers. Now, come." Nabooru was unnerved when she didn't move. "Senator Zelda, please." Slowly, Zelda followed her Captain.

* * *

At Chancellor Dragmire's office, he was currently in a meeting with the Jedi Council.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold off the vote, my friends." Dragmire told them. "More and more star systems are joining the separatists." The events were startling. Many Star Systems were breaking off from the Republic and starting their own democracy. Not surprising, the first to separate was none other than the Trade Federation.

"If they do break away-" Master Falcon began.

"I will not let this Republic that has stood for a thousand years be split in two." Dragmire insisted. "My negotiations will not fail."

"If they do, you must realize there aren't enough Jedi to protect the Republic." Falcon told him. "We're keepers of the peace, not soldiers."

"Master Yoshi." Dragmire said, getting the wise one's attentions. "Do you think it will really come to war?"

"The dark side clouds everything." Yoshi lamented. "Impossible to see the future is." At that moment, Dragmire got a transmission from another, who didn't speak the language of the Republic.

"The Loyalist Committee has arrived, Your Honor." He said in his native tongue.

"Good." Dragmire said. Dragmires assistants said something else, to which the Chancellor said "Send them in." He turned back to the Jedi at this point and said "We will discuss this matter later."

Senator Zelda walked into the room, as well as Nabooru, Mikau, and a few others. Yoshi walked over and gave a warm greeting to the young woman.

"Senator Zelda, your tragedy on the landing platform, terrible." The Jedi Master said. "Seeing you alive brings warm feelings to my heart."

"Do you have any idea who was behind this attack?" She asked.

"Our intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners on the moons of Hyrule." Master Falcon said.

"I think that Count Mewtwo was behind it." Zelda said, voicing her opinion.

"He is a political idealist, not a murderer." Master Peppy Hare said.

"You know, Milady, Count Mewtwo was once a Jedi." Falcon said. "He couldn't assassinate anyone. It's not in his character."

"But for certain, Senator, in grave danger you are." Yoshi warned.

"Master Jedi, may I suggest the senator be placed under the protection of your graces?" Dragmire asked as he stared out the window.

"Do you really think that's a wise decision under these stressful times." The Senator of the Great Sea planet asked. His name was Luigi.

"Chancellor," Zelda began, "if I may comment, I do not believe—"

"The situation is that serious." Dragmire finished for her. "No, but I do, Senator. I realize all too well that additional security might be disruptive for you, but perhaps someone you're familiar with." Dragmire than got an idea. "An old friend, like Master Lowell." Zelda remembered Marth Lowell well. He had helped her in her most desperate hour ten years ago.

"That's possible." Master Falcon agreed. "He's just returned from a border dispute on Pop Star."

"Do it for me, milady." Dragmire said. "Please? The thought of losing you…is unbearable."

"I will have Marth report to you immediately, milady." Falcon said to her.

"Thank you, Master Falcon." Zelda said, accepting the Jedi who would protect her.

* * *

A few hours later, Marth was riding the elevator to the suite where Zelda and the rest of the senators were staying. However, she had no idea that Marth was also bringing his Padawan apprentice: an all grown up Link Timehero. Link adjusted the collar on his Jedi robe, and Marth noticed this.

"You seem a little on edge." Marth said.

"Not at all." Link denied.

"I haven't felt you this tense since we fell into that nest of keyhunters." Marth said.

"_You_ fell into that nightmare, Master, and I rescued you." Link corrected as he scoffed. "Remember?"

"Oh…yes." Marth sighed, then began lightly laughing. Soon, Link joined him. Marth then got back to the subject. "You're sweating. Relax. Take a deep breath."

"I haven't seen her in ten years, Master." Link said, for some reason, he was anxious to see Zelda again. At the top, they were greeted by a certain zora named Mikau.

"Marth?" Mikau asked. Realization set in when the Zora realized that it was indeed the Jedi he met so long ago. "Marth! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Good to see you again, Mikau." Marth replied.

"Senator Zelda." Mikau called as he entered. "My pals are here, look Senator. The Jedi arrived." Zelda noticed Marth, and greeted him warmly.

"It's a great pleasure to see you again, milady." Marth said to her.

"It has been far too long, Master Lowell." Zelda looked over and noticed Marth's apprentice, who was also present. "Link?! My goodness, you've grown."

"So have you." Link stuttered. "Grown more beautiful, I mean. Well, f-for a senator, I mean."

"Link, you'll always be that boy I knew on Zebes." Zelda laughed.

"Our presence here will be invisible, milady, I can assure you." Marth said.

"I'm Captain Nabooru of Her Majesty's security service." The dark skinned, Red haired woman said. "Queen Peach has been informed of your assignment. I am grateful you are here, Master Lowell. The situation is more dangerous than the senator will admit."

"I don't need more security." Zelda insisted. "I need answers. I want to know who's trying to kill me."

"We're here to protect you Senator, not to start an investigation." Marth said to her.

"We will find out who's trying to kill you, Zelda." Link said, completely contradicting his master. "I promise you."

"We will not exceed our mandate my young Padawan learner." Marth told him.

"I meant that in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course." Link said.

"We will not go through this exercise again, Link." Marth said sternly. "And you will pay attention to my lead."

"Why?" Link asked.

"What?" Marth responded. It sounded like Link was disobeying him.

"Why else do you think we were assigned to her if not to find the killer?" Link said. "Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi. It's overkill, Master. Investigation is implied in our mandate."

"We will do exactly as the council has instructed." Marth said. "And you _will_ learn your place, young one."

"Perhaps with merely your presence the mystery surrounding this threat will be revealed." Zelda said with hope. "Now if you'll excuse me, I will retire." Zelda then left to her sleeping quarters, the events of the day had left her tired.

"I know I'll feel better having you here." Nabooru said to the Jedi. "I'll have an officer stationed on every floor, and I'll be in the control center downstairs." Marth left with Nabooru, leaving Link and Mikau as the only ones in the room.

"I'm busting with happiness seeing you again, Link." Mikau said.

"She hardly even recognized me, Mikau." Link said, looking in the direction that Zelda had left. "I've thought about her every day since we parted, and…she's forgotten me completely."

"She's happy." Mikau assured him. "Happier than I've seen her in a long time." At this time, Marth walked back in.

"You're focusing on the negative, Link." Marth told him. "Be mindful of your thoughts." Marth then assured him as well. "She _was_ pleased to see us. Now, let's check the security."


	2. Speeder Chase

**A/N:** Here's the second chapter. I'm afraid I won't be able to update as much as I'd like to. I just started a new job. Anyway, you'll see my choice here for Zelda's assassin. As for Jango Fett, you can take a guess, but I'd bet you'd be wrong.

Also, I sensed some confusion in the first review, so I'll clear that up right now. In Episode I, Zelda was disguised as Sheik. So if Sheik was the real Zelda, it only makes sense that the decoy, who died in the first chapter, was the real Sheik. I hope that clears it up.

CHAPTER 2: SPEEDER CHASE

That evening, one shadowy figure met with another near a Mute City nightclub. The first was obviously female, but a helmet and facemask distorted the other's voice. This person also wore an armored power suit for battle, possibly built by the wandering Chozo.

"I hit the ship, but they used a decoy." The Female said.

"We'll have to try something more subtle this time, Pauline." The distorted voice told her. "My client is getting impatient. Take these." The dark one handed Pauline a vial with two insect-like creatures inside. Pauline guessed them to be lumigecks; creatures born from pure phazon radiation. "Be careful. They're very poisonous." As Pauline prepared to leave, the dark one spoke up again. "Pauline, there can be no mistakes this time." Pauline then covered her face with a veil, and took her leave.

* * *

Back at the Senator's hotel room, most of those in the building were asleep; save for Zelda's security guards and two Jedi knights. 

"Captain Nabooru has more than enough men downstairs." Marth said. "No assassin would try that way. Any activity up here?"

"Quiet as a tomb." Link replied. "I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her." There was a beeping sound, and the Master heard it.

"What's going on?" Marth asked.

"Ah, she covered the cameras." Link said. "I don't think she liked me watching her."

"What is she thinking?" Marth asked in disbelief.

"She programmed Mr. Game and Watch to warn us if there is an intruder." Link said.

"There are many other ways to kill a senator." Marth reminded him.

"I know, but we also want to catch this assassin, don't we, Master?" Link asked. Marth thought on this, and then came to a shocking revelation.

"You're using her as bait." Marth said.

"It was her idea." Link said. "Don't worry, no harm will come to her. I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me."

"It's too risky." Marth said. "Besides, your senses aren't that attuned, my young apprentice."

"And yours are?" Link asked smugly.

"Possibly." Marth replied, just as smug. They had no idea that Pauline had loaded the lumigeks into a burglary droid and sent it to Zelda's room. Link stood on the balcony watching Mute City, which was beautiful at night. However, Marth noticed dark circles around his eyes.

"You look tired." Marth said.

"I don't sleep well anymore." Link replied.

"Because of your mother?" Marth asked. He knew that lately Link had been having nightmares of his mother, Saria, dying a terrible, terrible death. Link simply nodded at the question.

"I don't know why I keep dreaming about her." He said.

"Dreams pass in tiem." Marth said trying to console his Padawan.

"I'd much rather dream about Zelda." Link said truthfully. "Just being around her again is…intoxicating."

"Be mindful of your thoughts, Link." Marth told him. "They betray you. You've made a commitment to the Jedi order, a commitment not easily broken. And don't forget, she's a politician, and they're not to be trusted."

"She's not like the others in the senate, Master." Link said, little realizing that Puline's burglary droid had reached Zelda's window.

"It is my experience that senators focus only on pleasing those who fund their campaigns." Marth said. "And they're in no means scared of forgetting the niceties of democracy in order to get those funds."

"Not another lecture." Link groaned. "At least not on the economics of politics." The burglary droid wasted no time in cutting a perfectly round hole in Zelda's window and released the lumigeks. They fell to the floor, and made a beeline to the bed, where Zelda was sleeping peacefully. As they approached the top, the heard Mr. Game and Watch beep doing his Judgement attack. A 7 appeared and revealed a flashlight. The droid picked it up as the insects took cover behind the bed. Mr. Game and Watch quickly scanned the room with the flashlight, but went back to 'sleep' when he spotted nothing. The lumigeks made their move, and climbed back onto Zelda's bed, while the two Jedi continued to argue.

"And besides, you're generalizing." Link said. "The chancellor doesn't seem to be corrupt.

"Dragmire is a politician." Marth said. "I have observed that he is very clever in following the passions and the prejudices of the senators."

"I think he's a good man." Link said. "My—" Suddenly, the Force alerted him that something was wrong in Zelda's room! As he turned his head, Marth spoke up.

"I sense it too!" he said as they ran for her room. Bursting through the door, Link brought out his Lightsaber. He jumped onto the bed in a single bound and made two slashes, cutting both insects in half. The commotion had woken the sleeping senator with a gasp. Marth heard the whirring of the burglary droid, and jumped right through the window at it as it attempted to escape. At that height, he clung to the droid for his life as it attempted to return to Pauline.

"Stay here!" Link ordered to Zelda as he ran out of the room, and the rest of the senators ran in.

"Are you all right, milady?" A woman asked Zelda.

* * *

The burglary droid flew through the night as Marth clung to it, refusing to let go. His weight was pulling the droid down, and the droid had to try and knock the Jedi off. It slammed Marth's right hand onto the side of a building, prompting the Jedi to let go, but Keep his left hand in place. At that very moment, Link had found a speeder inside the parking garage of the hotel, jumped in, and took off. The droid then went into oncoming traffic, causing other drivers to swerve out of the way and yell out obscenities. Pauline saw her droid returning with Marth still attached to it. She pulled out a blaster from her own speeder, aimed, and fired. The shot split the burglary droid in two, and sent Marth plummeting. She then got into her speeder, and took off in the opposite direction. As Marth fell, Link spotted him, flew the speeder below him, and continued to descend so that when Marth hit, the impact would not injure him. Marth then climbed into the passenger seat next to his apprentice. 

"What took you so long?" Marth asked.

"Oh, you know, Master. I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked." Link said sarcastically. "With the open cockpit and the right speed capabilities."

"There he is." Marth said, not knowing this assassin was a woman. "If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you do your wit, you would rival Master Yoshi as a swordsman."

"I thought I already did." Link said as he took chase of Pauline, still sarcastically.

"Only in your _mind_, my very young apprentice." Marth said. Pauline was weaving in and out of traffic like a madman, while Link continued the chase. The chase soon went into a straight downward descent.

"Pull up, Link." Marth said as Pauline did so. "Pull up!" Link began to laugh like an idiot and didn't pull up. He liked to mess with Marth, he found it funny when Marth was scared. He finally did so just before hitting a building. "You _know_ I don't like it when you do that."

"Sorry, Master." Link said. "I forgot you don't like flying."

"I don't mind flying, but what _you're_ doing is suicide." Marth said. The chase continued into an industrial district. Pauline pulled out her blaster, and shot an electrical tower. She flew past it just before electricity engulfed two towers and the space between them.

"Link!" Marth panicked. "How many times have I told you—Ah!!! To stay away from power couplings?!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Link complained as he flew through the electricity.

"That was good." Marth said sarcastically. Pauline then tried to lose her pursuers by flying though a tunnel. However, Link continued his current direction.

"Where are you going?" Marth asked. "He went that way."

"Master, if we keep this chase going any longer, that creep is gonna end up deep-fried." Link argued. "Personally, I'd very much like to find out who he is and who he's working for. This is a shortcut…I think." Pauline began to think she had lost the Jedi when she exited the tunnel, and removed her veil. Link, however, came to a complete stop.

"Well, you've lost him." Marth said, upset.

"I'm deeply sorry, Master." Link said as he continued looking around.

"That was some shortcut, Link." Marth said. "He went completely the other way. Once again you've proved—"

"If you'll excuse me." Link said as he hopped out of the speeder, and began to fall. The Padawan seemed to know what he was doing, much to Marth's chagrin.

"I hate it when he does that." Marth sighed as he climbed into the driver's seat. Link continued to drop, and landed right on Pauline's speeder! He clung to the back, and tried to wrestle his way to the closed cockpit. Pauline pushed down, sending Link to the front of her speeder instead. She then pulled out her blaster, and attempted to shoot Link off. She then tried shaking him off, but that didn't work either. She sped up, putting Link at her side. She looked at him, and made a face that of a changeling! Trying to find a way in, Link ignited his lightsaber, and poked right through the closed cockpit, aiming for her as she tried to blast him off through the roof. It knocked Link's weapon out of his hand, and into that of Marth's, who was following behind them. Link grabbed her wrist, and forced her to blast an open console inside her speeder, forcing her to crash land near a nightclub. As she got out, Link gave chase, and she ran right into the club. Marth parked nearby, and met his apprentice at the door.

"Link!" Marth called to get his attention.

"She went into the club, Master." Link said to him.

"Patience." Marth said. "Use the Force. Think."

"Sorry, Master." Link said.

"He went in there to hide, not to run." Marth said.

"Yes, Master." Link continued, out of breath.

"Next time, try not to lose it." Marth said as he handed Link's lightsaber back to him.

"Yes, Master." Link said again.

"Try not to lose it." Marth continued.

"I try, Master." Link said as the two of them walked inside.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?" Marth asked.

"Don't say that, Master." Link said. "You're the closest thing I have to a father."

"Then why don't you listen to me?" Marth asked.

"I am trying." Link said. The two of them looked around, and saw no trace of Pauline. They did notice that they were at a sports bar, where games were on two big screen televisions, and an F-Zero race on a third.

"Can you see him?" Marth asked.

"I think he is a she." Link said. "And I think she is a changeling."

"In that case, be extra careful." Marth said. "Go and find her."

"Where are you going, Master?" Link asked.

"For a drink." Marth replied. After what Link had just put him through, he felt entitled to it. Link looked around the bar as Math sipped at an alcoholic liquid in a small glass. Next to him, someone was soliciting.

"Thank you." Marth told the bartender.

"You wanna buy some death sticks?" The solicitor asked.

"You don't want to sell me death sticks." Marth said, using the Jedi Mind Trick. He didn't smoke, period.

"I don't want to sell you death sticks." The boy said.

"You want to go home and rethink your life." Marth continued.

"I want to go home and rethink my life." The young man said as he got up and left. In the bar, Pauline was hiding out, and soon spotted Marth at the bar. The hunter had become the hunted as she pulled out her blaster and aimed for his head. Marth immediately sensed this, pulled out his lightsaber, and cut off Pauline's hand, causing those in the bar to gasp. Link had walked over, and got everyone under control.

"Easy." Link said to everyone. "Jedi business. Go back to your drinks." Marth and taken Pauline out of the bar and Link soon followed.

"Do you know who it was you were trying to kill?" Marth asked. Going after a heavily guarded Zelda was stupid alone, but with two Jedi among them, it was plain suicide!

"It was a senator from Hyrule." Pauline said. She knew full well that she was going after Zelda.

"And who hired you?" Marth asked.

"It was just a job." Pauline said.

"Who hired you?" Link asked nicely. "Tell us." When she didn't respond, Link's tone got more lethal. "Tell us now!"

"It was a bounty hunter called—" Pauline never finished her sentence, as something struck her neck. The two of them looked up and saw somebody take of in what appeared to be a jetpack. Whoever it was probably was the one who hired Pauline for the job. As Pauline died on the spot right there, Marth removed the object from her neck.

"Toxic dart." He said.


	3. Protect and Detect

**A/N: **I am SO sorry this took so long. Between my new job and getting my hands on a few new games, I just couldn't find the time. Anyway, this chapter introduces Zelda's new decoy and Dexter Jettster.

As for jedimasterpest doing Clone Wars, If you do it, It'd be your own work. I've already chosen who I'd want to be General Grievous, but I won't reveal who I've chosen until I finish this and go on to Revenge of the Sith.

CHAPTER 3: PROTECT AND DETECT

The following morning, Marth and Link reported back to the Jedi Council to tell them what had happened the night before, leaving out no detail.

"Track down this bounty hunter you must, Marth." Master Yoshi ordered.

"Most importantly, find out who he's working for." Master Falcon added, unaware that the bounty hunter was female. All of them were unaware of this fact.

"What about Senator Zelda?" Marth asked. "She will still need protecting."

"Handle that you Padawan will." Yoshi said.

"Link, escort the senator back to her home planet of Hyrule. She'll be safer there." Falcon ordered. "And don't use registered transport. Travel as refugees."

"As the leader of the opposition, it will be very difficult to get Senator Zelda to leave the capital." Link warned.

"Until caught this killer is, our judgment she must respect." Yoshi said.

"Link, go to the senate and ask Chancellor Dragmire to speak with her about this matter." Falcon said. Marth and Link bowed to their superiors, and left the room.

* * *

Link had done what was asked of him, and soon delivered the message to the chancellor. 

"I will talk with her." Dragmire assured him. "Senator Zelda will not refuse an executive order. I know her well enough to assure you of that."

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Link said.

"And so, they've finally given you an assignment." Dragmire said. "Your patience has paid off."

"Your guidance more than my patience." Link said. Chancellor Dragmire was very influential of Link's training over the years.

"You don't need guidance, Link." The Chancellor said. "In time, you will learn to trust your feelings. Then you will be invincible." The two of them began to walk to the door. "I have said it many times: You are the most gifted Jedi I have ever met."

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Link said again.

"I see you becoming the greatest of all the Jedi, Link…even more powerful than Master Yoshi." Dragmire said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Marth was walking with Masters Yoshi and Falcon discussing Link's training. 

"I am concerned for my Padawan." Marth admitted. "He is not ready to be given this assignment on his own yet."

"The council is confident in its decision, Marth." Yoshi said.

"The boy has exceptional skills." Falcon added.

"But he still has much to learn, Master." Marth continued. "His abilities have made him…well, arrogant."

"Yes, yes." Yoshi said. "A flaw more and more common among Jedi. Too sure of themselves they are." Yoshi then locked eyes with Marth. "Even the older, more experienced ones."

"Remember Marth." Falcon said. "If the prophecy is true, your apprentice is the only one who can bring the Force back into balance."

* * *

Back in Zelda's room, she was packing her belongings while Link waited patiently. She had stopped to talk with Mikau, who would have to fill her spot. 

"I'm taking an extended leave of absence." She told the Zora. "It will be your responsibility to take my place in the senate. Representative Mikau, I know I can count on you."

"I'm honored to be taking on this heavy burden." Mikau said. "I accept this with much, much humility and-"

"Mikau, I don't wish to hold you up." Zelda said. "I'm sure you have a great deal to do."

"Of course, Milady." Mikau said. The zora left the room, while Zelda went back to packing her thinks. Link continued to wait.

"I do not like this idea of hiding." She said stubbornly.

"Don't worry." Link said. "Now that the council has ordered an investigation it won't take Master Lowell long to find this bounty hunter."

"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act to _not_ be here when its fate is decided." Zelda complained.

"Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us." Link said.

"Link. You've grown up." Zelda said.

"Master Marth manages not to see it." Link said as he went to stare out the window. "Don't get me wrong. Marth is a great mentor. As wise as Master Yoshi and as powerful as Master Falcon. I am truly thankful to be his apprentice." While Zelda continued to pack, Link rambled on. "In some ways—a lot of ways—I'm really ahead of him." Link's tone soon became a little more frustrated. "I'm ready for the trials but he feels that I'm too unpredictable. He won't let me move on."

"That must be frustrating." Zelda said.

"It's worse." Link complained almost immediately. "He's overly critical. He never listens. He—he doesn't understand. It's not fair!"

"All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like." Zelda said, trying to console Link. "It's the only way we grow."

"I know." Link sighed as he took a seat.

"Link." Zelda said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't try to grow up too fast."

"But I am grown up." Link replied as he stood. "You said it yourself." As he looked at Zelda, he was nearly intoxicated by her beauty, and couldn't help but stare.

"Please don't look at me like that." Zelda said.

"Why not?" Link asked, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"It makes me feel uncomfortable." Zelda replied as she went back to packing.

"Sorry, milady." Link said as he smiled.

* * *

Later, Link and Zelda were taken to a hangar that was boarding a ferry to Hyrule. Marth had come with them to have a few more words with his Padawan. 

"Be safe, Milady." Nabooru said to the departing senator.

"Thank you, Captain." Zelda replied. "Take good care of Malon, the threat's on you two now." Malon was Zelda's new decoy, and the only one she left in Mute City.

"She'll be safe with me." Malon assured her, jokingly. A tear then escaped the decoy's eye, knowing that she was now the _true_ target.

"You'll be fine." Zelda assured her.

"It's not me, milady." Malon said. "I worry about you. What if they realize you've left the capital?"

"Well, then my Jedi protector will have to prove how good he is." Zelda said.

"Link." Marth said. "Don't do anything without first consulting either myself or the council."

"Yes, Master." Link obeyed. Marth then turned to Zelda.

"I'll get to the bottom of this plot quickly, milady." Marth said. "You'll be back here in no time."

"I'll be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi." Zelda said.

"It's time to go." Marth said to her.

"I know." She acknowledged.

"Link, may the Force be with you." Marth wished.

"May the Force be with you, Master." Link replied. With that, Link and Zelda grabbed their belongings, and headed to the ferry. Mr. Game and Watch followed shortly behind them.

"Suddenly I'm afraid." Zelda admitted.

"This is my first assignment on my own." Link said. "I am too." Zelda looked over to him, and they exchanged a worried glance. "Don't worry, we have Mr. Game and Watch with us." Zelda let out a giggle at the padawans joke as Marth and Nabooru watched them leave.

"I do hope he doesn't try anything foolish." Marth said.

"I'd me more concerned about her doing something than him." Nabooru said. The two of them saw their accomplices as handfuls as the ferry left the hangar.

* * *

Marth had walked into an old diner with the toxic dart he had pulled from Pauline's neck. He told himself that somebody here could identify it. 

"Someone to see ya, honey!" A food-service droid called to the owner of the diner. "Jedi, by the looks of him."

"Marth!" A four armed blue creature called as he saw the Jedi.

"Hello, Machamp." Marth greeted with a smile.

"Take a seat." Machamp offered. "I'll be right with ya."

"You wanna cup o' Kirby juice?" The droid asked.

"Oh, yes. Thank you." Marth accepted as he sat down in a booth. He soon stood up again as his friend approached.

"Hey, old buddy!" Machamp said as he walked over to Marth. They soon hugged each other as old friends do. Machamp hugged with his top arms as his bottom arms pulled up his sagging pants. After which, they both sat down. "So, my friend, what can I do for ya?"

"You can tell me what this is." Marth said as he held up the dart and put it on the table.

"Well, whattaya know!" Machamp gasped. "I ain't seen one of these since I was prospectin' on Hoenn, beyond the outer rim."

"Can you tell me where it came from?" Marth asked as the droid returned with his juice. "Thank you."

"This baby belongs to them cloners." Machamp said. "What you got here is an Aquas saberdart."

"I wonder why it didn't show up in the analysis archives." Marth said, obviously doing a test on it prior to meeting with his friend.

"It's these funny little cuts on the side that give it away." Machamp said inspecting the dart. "Those analysis droids only focus on symbols. Ha, I should think that you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and…heh heh heh, wisdom."

"Well, if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there?" Marth said. "Aquas. I'm not familiar with it. Is it in the Republic?"

"No, no, it's beyond the outer rim." Machamp said. "I'd say about, uh, twelve parsecs from Zoness. Should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archives. These Aquasians keep to themselves. They're cloners. Damn good ones too."

"Cloners." Marth said. "Are they friendly?"

"Oh, depends." Machamp said.

"Depends on what, Machamp?" Marth continued.

"On how good your manners are and how big your…eh…pocketbook is." Machamp chuckled.

* * *

After getting what information he could from Machamp, Marth went to explore the Jedi archives in search of Aquas. He had a few problems, and was soon forced to call for help. 

"Did you call for assistance?" A woman asked as she approached the Jedi.

"Yes, yes. I did." Marth replied.

"Are you having a problem, Master Lowell?" She asked.

"Yes." Marth said. "I'm looking for a planetary system called Aquas. It doesn't show up on the archive charts."

"Aquas." She thought. "It's not a system I'm familiar with. Are you sure you have the right coordinates?"

"According to my information, it should appear in this quadrant here." Marth said as he pointed at a screen. "Just south of Zoness." The woman pushed a few buttons to zoom in on the area, but there was no trace of Aquas.

"I hat to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist." She said.

"Impossible." Marth said. "Perhaps the archives are incomplete."

"If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist." The lady insisted before going off to help a younger Padawan. Marth thought about who else could help him.

* * *

Aboard the ferry, Link and Zelda continued speeding to Hyrule. Mr. Game & Watch was refused by a bartender, and sent back to the humans who were eating and talking. However, the flat black droid did manage to walk away with something, and handed it to Zelda. 

"Thank you, Mr. Game & Watch." Zelda said as she took the food item from him. She then turned back to Link. "Must be difficult, having sworn your life to the Jedi, not being able to visit the places you like or do the things you like."

"Or be with the people that I love." Link added.

"Are you _allowed_ to love?" Zelda asked. "I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."

"Attachment is forbidden." Link corrected. "Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love is central to a Jedi's life. So you might say that we are encouraged to love."

"You've changed so much." Zelda said.

"You haven't changed a bit." Link replied. "You're exactly the way I remember you in my dreams." The statement seemed to have caught both of them off guard, as neither of them knew what to say.

* * *

Marth soon thought of someone very wise who could help him find Aquas, and there were none wiser than Master Yoshi. He found the Jedi Master doing his favorite leadership activity: training the younglings. The young ones had just begun blocking with lightsabers as small blaster droids hovered around them. 

"Reach out." Yoshi said. "Sense the Force around you. Use your feelings you must." As Marth entered the room, Yoshi got the younglings attention. "Younglings! A visitor we have." The younglings extinguished the lightsabers and saw the new person in the room.

"Hello Master Marth." They all said in unison.

"Hello." Marth said before turning to Yoshi. "I'm sorry to disturb you Master."

"What help can I be, Marth?" Yoshi asked.

"I'm looking for a planet described to me by an old friend." Marth replied. "I trust him, but the systems don't show on the archive maps."

"Hmm. Lost a planet Master Marth has." Yoshi said to the younglings. "How embarrassing. How embarrassing." This caused the children to giggle. "The shades." Yoshi asked as the room got dark. Marth placed a small orb on top of a podium and small specks of light filled the room.

"Gather round the map reader." Yoshi said. "Clear your minds, and find Marth's wayward planet we will."

"It ought to be…here!" Marth said as he pointed to a spot. "But it isn't. Gravity is pulling all the stars in the area towards this spot."

"Hmm. Gravity's silhouette remains, but the star and all the planets, disappeared they have." Yoshi said. "How can this be? A thought? Anyone."

"Master?" One young boy said. "Because someone erased it from the archive memory."

"Truly wonderful the mind of a child is." Yoshi laughed as Marth smiled. "The Padawan is right. Go to the center of gravity's pull, and find your planet you will." Marth force pulled the map-reader to his hand as Yoshi walked with him to have a word. "The data must have been erased."

"But Master Yoshi, who could empty information from the archives?" Marth asked. "That's impossible, isn't it?"

"Dangerous and disturbing this puzzle is." Yoshi said. "Only a Jedi could have erased those files. But who and why, harder to answer. Meditate on this I will."


	4. A Forbidden Path

**A/N: **This chapter was kind of fun to do, and I'm starting to get back into the thick of things. Marth's investigation continues, Link and Zelda get closer, and here are my choices for FOUR characters, those being Lama Su, Taun We, Jango Fett, and Boba Fett.

CHAPTER 4: A FORBIDDEN PATH

Once the ferry landed on Hyrule, Link, Zelda, and Mr. Game & Watch were some of the first to disembark. Even though they only landed at the Hyrule Market spaceport, the planet was just as Link remembered it. He didn't have much time to admire it, as he was loaded into a shuttle with his travelling mates and taken close to the castle, Zelda's former home.

"I wasn't the youngest princess ever elected, but now that I think back on it, I'm not sure I was quite old enough." Zelda said as they continued a conversation that started minutes ago. "I'm not sure I was ready."

"The people you served thought you did a good job." Link said. "I heard they even tried to amend the constitution so you could stay in office."

"I was relieved when my two terms were up." She continued. "But when the princess asked me to serve as senator, I couldn't refuse her."

"I agree with her." Link said, not even knowing Princess Peach. "I think the Republic needs you. I'm glad that you chose to serve."

* * *

A few hours later, they were meeting with Princess Peach as well as a few others who served under her. Some even served under Zelda ten years prior.

"If the senate votes to create an army, I'm sure it's going to push us into a civil war." Zelda said.

"It's unthinkable." Darunia added. "There hasn't been a full-scale war since the formation of the Republic."

"Do you see any way through negotiations to bring the separatists back into the republic?" Peach asked her predecessor.

"Not if they feel threatened." Zelda said. "My guess is they'll turn to the Trade Federation or the Commerce Guilds for help."

"It's outrageous, but after four trials in the Supreme Court, Wolf O'Donnell is still the viceroy of the Trade Federation." Darunia complained. "I fear the senate is powerless to resolve this crisis."

"We must keep our faith in the Republic." Peach said as she got up to leave. "The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it."

"Let's pray that day never comes." Zelda said walking beside her, Link not far behind.

"In the meantime, we must consider your own safety." Peach said.

"What is your suggestion, Master Jedi?" Darunia asked Link.

"Oh, Link's not a Jedi yet." Zelda corrected. "He's still a Padawan learner. But I was thinking—"

"Hold on a minute." Link said, clearly capable of speaking for himself.

"Excuse me." Zelda said to Link. "I was thinking I would stay in the lake country. There are some places up there that are very isolated."

"Excuse _me_." Link interrupted. "I'm in charge of security here, milady."

"And this is my home." Zelda added. "I know it very well. That is why we're here. I think it would be wise if you took advantage of my knowledge in this instance."

"Sorry, milady." Link said as he gave a smile.

"Perfect, it's settled, then." Peach said.

* * *

Marth's starfighter came to a halt as it disengaged from its hyperspace ring. He had succeeded and finally found the planet of Aquas. After meeting with Master Yoshi, he knew that he should just go for it.

"There it is, Game & Watch Red, right where it should be." Marth said to his Game & Watch droid. "Our missing planet, Aquas." As Marth got close, he saw that Aquas was an ocean planet that sported a torrential downpour. A few cities were built above the waves, and Marth landed on its capital cities landing pad. As he approached an entrance, it opened as he saw some type of mushroom being approaching.

"Master Jedi." She greeted him. "The Prime Minister is expecting you."

"I'm expected?" Marth asked.

"Of course." She said. "He is anxious to meet you. After all these years we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now please, this way." She led him into another room, where another one was sitting.

"May I present Toad, Prime Minister of Aquas." She said as Marth bowed. "And this is Master Jedi…"

"Marth Lowell." He said, introducing himself.

"I trust you're going to enjoy your stay." Toad said as he presented a chair. "Please." Marth took a seat as Toad began further conversation. "And now to business. You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule." Marth had no idea what he was talking about. "200,000 units are ready with a million more well on the way."

"That's…good news." Marth said, playing along.

"Please tell your Master Pong that his order will be met on time." Toad said.

"I'm sorry." Marth said. "Master?"

"Jedi Master Pong is still a leading member of the Jedi Council, is he not?" Toad asked.

"Master Pong was killed almost ten years ago." Marth said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." Toad said. "But I'm sure he would be proud of the army we've built for him."

"The army?" Marth asked.

"Yes." Toad responded. "A clone army. And I must say, one of the finest we've ever created."

"Tell me, Prime Minister, when my master first contacted you about the army, did he say who it was for?" Marth asked.

"Of course he did." Toad replied. "This army is for the Republic. But you must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself."

"That's why I'm here." Marth lied. Toad then led them out of the room.

* * *

Link and Zelda had arrived at the lake country of Hyrule: Zelda's favorite spot on the planet. They were to be sheltered at a large secluded beach house away from most civilization. As the boat docked near the entrance, Link stepped out first and offered his hand so Zelda could do the same, which she accepted. As a butler took their bags into their rooms, the two of them walked. Zelda told Link all about her home planet, with the Jedi Padawan throwing in short comments here and there.

"We used to come here for school retreat." Zelda said as they walked. She then pointed to an island. "We would swim to that island every day. I love the water." Before much longer, they stopped at a balcony and shared the view as she continued. "We used to lie out on the sand and let the sun dry us, and try to guess the names of the birds singing."

"I don't like sand." Link said as he toyed with something small in his hands, as if he were nervous about something. "It's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere." Link then threw the small insignificant object off the railing and into the lake. "Not like here. Here everything is soft…and smooth."

Almost immediately after he finished his sentence, Zelda could feel Link's hand slowly rubbing on hers, and soon she felt it up her arm, and then on her shoulder blade. She looked at Link and made no invitation to explore, but made no effort to push him back either. When she looked into his eyes, she saw him smile just a bit, and soon, their faces were coming closer. Closer and closer until their lips touched in a lingering kiss, something neither of them had ever experienced before. After about five seconds, Zelda quickly pulled away.

"No." She gasped. "I…I shouldn't have done that."

"I'm sorry." Link apologized. Both were nearly dumbstruck as they went back to the view as if they hadn't just kissed seconds ago.

* * *

Marth had to admit. He hadn't seen much of this army yet, but what he had seen impressed him. Toad continued to lead him down several corridors with the one he met prior, Toadette, followed them.

"Very impressive." Marth said.

"I'd hoped you would be pleased." Toad said. "Clones can think creatively. You will find that they are immensely superior to droids." Marth noticed that embryo's were grown in tubes. When they reached proper age, they would learn academics, and when they hit their early teens, they began hands-on battle training. When full grown, they were nothing short of combat machines. "We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. This group was created about five years ago." Marth looked down and saw several clones, who looked about ten-years-old at desks learning academics.

"You mentioned growth acceleration." Marth said, probing for more information.

"Oh, yes, it's essential." Toad said. "Otherwise, a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. Now we can do it in half the time."

"I see." Marth said as he saw a group of full-grown clones in a cafeteria.

"They are totally obedient taking any order without question." Toad said. "We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host."

"And who _was_ the original host?" Marth asked.

"A bounty hunter called Janus Aran." Toad said. Could this be who Marth was looking for?

"And where is this bounty hunter now?" Marth continued.

"Oh, we keep her here." Toad said. Bingo! "Apart from her pay, which is considerable, Aran demanded only one thing: an unaltered clone for herself. Curious, isn't it?"

"Unaltered?" Marth asked.

"Pure genetic replication." Toad continued. "No tampering with the structure to make it more docile, no 'Y' chromosome, and no growth acceleration." That explained why the clones were male.

"I should very much like to meet this Janus Aran." Marth insisted.

"I would be very happy to arrange it for you." Toadette told him. Marth then stopped at a balcony and saw the 200,000 clones that were ready for action.

"Magnificent, aren't they?" Toad asked.

* * *

Link and Zelda felt the need to get out, so they went for a small picnic lunch out in the field. As always, they were having a conversation.

"I don't know." Zelda said.

"Sure you do." Link chuckled. "You just don't want to tell me."

"You gonna use one of your Jedi mind tricks on me?" Zelda asked.

"They only work on the weak-minded." Link countered.

"All right." Zelda conceded. "I was 12. His name was Pablo. We were both in the Legislative Youth Program. He was a few years older than I. Very cute." Zelda then began to drone on. "Dark, curly hair. Dreamy eyes—"

"All right, I get the picture." Link interrupted. "Whatever happened to him?"

"I went into public service; he went on to become and artist." Zelda said.

"Maybe he was the smart one." Link said.

"You really don't like politicians, do you?" Zelda asked.

"I like two or three." Link said, considering there were hundreds of them. "But I'm not really sure about one of them." This caused both of them to laugh slightly. "I don't think the system works."

"How would you have it work?" She asked.

"We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problem." Link said. "Agree what's in the best interest of all the people, and then do it."

"That's exactly what we do." Zelda defended. "The trouble is that people don't always agree."

"Well, then they should be made to." Link said.

"By whom?" Zelda asked. "Who's gonna make them?"

"I don't know. Someone." Link defended.

"You?" Zelda asked.

"Of course not me." Link responded.

"But someone." Zelda said.

"Someone wise." Link continued.

"Sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me." Zelda said, not agreeing with Link's views.

"Well, if it works." Link smiled. They looked at each other, and soon, Zelda fought not to laugh.

"You're making fun of me." She said.

"No." Link defended. "I'd be much too frightened to tease a senator."

A few minutes later, Zelda was running through the field. Before much longer, Link rode by on a horse, and then tried to show off by standing on the saddle.

"Whoa, whoa!" Link called as he fought for balance. However, he then took a spill, landing hard on his stomach. He grunted and groaned to try to get up, but then dropped back down.

"Link!" Zelda called as she ran over to him. "Link, are you all right?" As she flipped him over, he had the biggest laughing grin on his face, nearly suffocating from his own laughter, as Zelda lightly slapped him on the chest. The hilarity of it all had them rolling in the grass.

* * *

Marth was anxious to meet this bounty hunter as he and Toadette stood outside the door. A little girl answered who couldn't have been more than ten years old.

"Samus, is your mother here?" Toadette asked.

"Yep." Samus said as she nodded.

"May we see her?" Toadette asked.

"Sure." The girl said. Samus took a longer look at Marth never having seen him before, before letting them inside. "Mom, Toadette's here." Marth walked past a closet and into the main living quarters of this section.

"Janus, welcome back." Toadette said as Janus Aran appeared out of the closet. Janus was about the same height as Marth, with shoulder length blond hair and an athletic build. "Was your trip productive?"

"Fairly." Janus replied.

"This is Jedi Master Marth Lowell." Toadette said introducing the two of them. "He's come to check on our progress."

"Your clones are very impressive." Marth said to her. "You must be very proud."

"I'm just a simple woman trying to make my way in the universe." Janus replied.

"Ever made your way as far into the interior as Mute City?" Marth asked. Trying to get some answers and remain inconspicuous at the same time.

"Once or twice." Janus said.

"Recently?" Marth continued.

"Possibly." Janus replied. Neither of them noticed young Samus get shifty-eyed.

"Then you must know Master Pong." Marth said. Janus said something to Samus in what sounded to be Chozo before replying. At her mother's command, Samus went and closed the door that Janus had just come from.

"Master who?" Janus asked.

"Pong." Marth replied. "Is he not the Jedi who hired you for this job?"

"Never heard of him." Janus replied.

"Really?" Marth continued.

"I was hired by a man called Psychosis on one of the moons of Katina." Janus said.

"Curious." Marth said. He seemed to be getting two different stories.

"Do you like your army." Janus asked, changing the subject.

"I look forward to seeing them in action." Marth admitted.

"They'll do their job well." Janus said. " I'll guarantee that."

"Thank you for your time, Janus." Marth said as he excused himself.

"Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi." Janus replied. Marth and Toadette then left the room, but Janus kept a lingering stare. She was in a spot and she knew it. She didn't like being in a spot.

"What is it, Mom?" Samus asked.

"Pack your things." Janus said. "We're leaving."

* * *

Evening began as the sun set on Hyrule and the meal of dinner was upon Link and Zelda. Like always, they were conversing as they had done all day.

"And when I got to them, we went into aggressive negotiations." Link said as a handmaiden placed some food on the table. "Thank you."

"Aggressive negotiations?" Zelda asked. "What's that."

"Uh, well, negotiations with a lightsaber." Link laughed.

"Oh." Zelda said as she began laughing too. She went to cut a piece of fruit on her plate, but watched in surprise as it lifted off her plate. Her surprise diminished when she saw Link pulling the item towards him with the Force. Gently, he put it down on his own plate, and cut the end off of it.

"If Master Marth caught me doing this, he'd be very grumpy." Link said. He then slowly force pushed the cut end back to the senator, who stabbed it with her fork and took a bite.

Tension began to set in again as they sat together after eating, when Link brought up a more serious topic.

"From the moment I met you," Link began, "all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you. And now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets." Zelda began to fidget uncontrollably; she didn't want to talk about this. "The thought of not being with you—I can't breathe. I'm haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me. My heart is beating, hoping that that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me. What can I do? I will do anything that you ask." He saw Zelda think on this, and tried to continue. "If you are suffering as much as I am, please, tell me."

"I can't." Zelda whispered. "We can't. It's…just not possible."

"Anything is possible, Zelda." Link pleaded. "Listen to me—"

"No, _you_ listen." Zelda said as she stood up. "We live in a real world, come back to it. You're studying to become a Jedi, I'm—I'm a senator. If you follow your thoughts through to conclusion, it'll take us to a place we cannot go, regardless of the way we feel about each other."

"Then you _do_ feel something." Link said after hearing that 'we' word.

"I will not let you give up your future for me." Zelda insisted.

"You are asking me to be rational." Link said as he stood. "That is something I know I cannot do. Believe me, I wish that I could just wish away my feelings but I can't."

"I will not give in to this." Zelda said, keeping her composure while Link was losing his. Link walked across the room, and stared into the open.

"Well, you know, it…wouldn't have to be that way." Link began. "We could keep it a secret.

"We'd be living a lie." Zelda protested. "One we couldn't keep even if we wanted to. I couldn't do that. Could you, Link? Could you live like that?"

"No." Link said after some thought. "You're right. It would destroy us."

* * *

Back on Aquas, Marth believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Janus Aran was the one he was looking for.

"Tell your council that the first battalions are ready." Toadette said as she prepared to excuse the Jedi. "And remind them, if they need more troops it will take more time to grow them."

"I won't forget, and thank you." Marth said as he put his hood up.

"Thank _you_." Toadette responded as the Jedi stepped outside. Once the door shut and Marth noticed that Toadette was gone, he headed to his starfighter, where his Game and Watch droid was still waiting.

"Game and Watch Red!" Marth called in the loud downpour, getting the droid's attention. "Scramble code five to Mute City, care of the old folks home!" Marth was preparing to open up communications to his masters. Masters Falcon and Yoshi received the message. Once he had them, he spoke.

"I have successfully made contact with the Prime Minister of Aquas." Marth told them. "They are using a bounty hunter named Janus Aran to create a clone army. I have a strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the assassin we are looking for."

"Do you think these cloners are involved in the plot to assassinate Senator Zelda?" Falcon asked.

"No Master, there appears to be no motive." Marth said.

"Do not assume anything, Marth." Yoshi told him. "Clear your mind must be if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot."

"Yes, Master." Marth responded. "They say Master Pong placed an order for a clone army at the request of the senate almost ten years ago. I was under the impression he was killed before that." Yoshi and Falcon shared a look. "Did the council ever authorize the creation of a clone army?"

"No." Falcon said. "Whoever placed that order did not have the authorization of the Jedi Council."

"Bring her here." Yoshi said, referring to Janus Aran. "Question her we will."

"Yes, Master." Marth responded. "I will report back when I have her." With that, Marth's transmission was gone.

"Blind we are if creation of this clone army we could not see." Yoshi said.

"I think it is time we informed the senate that our ability to use the Force has diminished." Falcon sighed.

"Only the dark lord of the Sith knows of our weakness." Yoshi said. "If informed the senate is, multiply our adversaries will."


	5. Fear Leads to Anger

**A/N: **Well I got no reviews for the last chapter, but that's OK. I think I'll do a few more chapters before I chalk this up to a lack of interest. Anyway, In this chapter, Link begins his path down the dark side, Marth discovers the one who hired Janus Aran, we introduce my choices for the Lars family, and...could it be?...the return of Roy?

CHAPTER 5: FEAR LEADS TO ANGER

"No." Link mumbled as he tossed and turned in his sleep. "No. Mom, no. Don't, no!" He yelled as he woke up in a cold sweat. "No." He had another nightmare that night. He dreamt that his mother had died in his arms; a suffering death.. He got out of bed, got dressed, and stood outside waiting for the sun to rise. He was afraid to go back to sleep.

As the sun climbed into the morning sky, Link continued to stare. He soon felt another presence behind him, that of Zelda, but dismissed it. Zelda could tell he was distraught about something, and thought to herself that he should be by himself at the moment. But as she turned to go back inside, he spoke.

"Don't go." Link said without moving.

"I don't want to disturb you." Zelda said.

"Your presence is soothing." Link said, feeling much more comfortable now that there was somebody else there. He didn't care who it was. Be it Zelda, Marth, Yoshi, Falcon, or someone that he never even met before, he felt better.

"You had another nightmare last night." Zelda said. Somehow, she knew of Link's recurring dreams.

"Jedi don't have nightmares." He lied.

"I heard you." She replied. Link knew there was no way out of it.

"I saw my mother." Link said as he turned around to face her. "She is suffering, Zelda. I saw her as clearly as I see you now." He then turned away, unsure of what to say or do next, and let out a deep sigh. "She is in pain. I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you, Senator, but I have to go. I have to help her."

"I'll go with you." Zelda said. She would be perfectly fine returning to the dry planet of Zebes to make Link feel better and to keep him out of trouble.

"I'm sorry." Link said. "I don't have a choice."

* * *

The rain continued to pour as Janus Aran and her daughter Samus packed their ship full of their things. The ship floated in mid-air as a tractor beam lifted everything into the lower cargo hold. As the last of their things was packed, Marth ran onto the landing platform ready to take Janus in by any means necessary.

"Mom, look!" Samus shouted as she spotted and pointed at the fast approaching Jedi.

"Samus, get on board!" Janus commanded as she went to face Marth. To save room, Janus was wearing her blue chozo-built power suit, and was ready for battle at any time. Marth pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it as Janus pointed her arm canon at him and let loose with a few blasts. Marth easily deflected the shots with his weapon as he advanced on the bounty hunter. As the Jedi swung for her legs, Janus pulled a Space Jump and landed further away from him while continuing to fire, but not scoring a single hit. Inside, Samus was powering the ship up for flight. Marth lost sight of Janus temporarily, but spotted her again when he heard a shot come his way. This shot was not an ordinary beam weapon however, it was a concussion missile. The projectile hit near Marth's feet, and knocked him backwards several meters, lightsaber flying from his startled hand.

Soon, the ship itself started firing at him as Samus took the controls, knocking Marth even further back. As the Jedi struggled to his feet, he saw Janus coming at him. Marth did a force leap, and caught the bounty hunter in the chest with a stunning sidekick. As she hit the ground, Marth came in again and scored another kick in the same spot. Janus grabbed his leg and flipped him onto his back, but the Jedi countered with a kick to the face. As Marth and Janus continued their brawl, Samus was working quickly in the ship to help out her mother any way she could.

Janus caught Marth with a headbutt that knocked him away, but then he caught sight of his lightsaber. As he tried to force pull it to his hand, Janus tied his arms together with a grapple beam and did another space jump, pulling Marth away and dropping his weapon again. She continued to drag the Jedi up and down the landing platform until Marth was able to wrap the beam around a pole, and forcefully pull Janus back to the ground. Janus struggled to he feet, but was knocked off the landing platform when Marth caught her with yet another sidekick. However, it was then the Jedi realized that he was still connected to her as his hands were still tied up in her grapple beam.

"Oh, not good." Marth said before being pulled over the side. As the two of them slid down the steep side, Janus produced an arm blade to stop them as she jammed it into the side of the steep surface on which they were sliding. The bounty hunter had stopped just inches from the edge, but Marth went over, hanging on only by Janus' weapon, which he knew she could deactivate at any time. She finally did so, thinking she had sent the Jedi plummeting to his doom. As he fell, Marth got free, and somehow managed to land on another platform. This gave Janus the opportunity that she needed as she produced a second arm blade and tried to crawl back up the side. Once she was up, she boarded her ship. As Marth ran back up to engage her again, Janus and Samus were in the process of taking off. Marth's only chance was to reach into his pocket and attach a homing device to the ship. He threw it, and it landed right where he wanted it. Now he had to chase them.

* * *

Link and Zelda had rented a ship and took off for Zebes. Just as Link remembered her planet, Zelda remembered his; hot. After being cleared to land, Link and Zelda rented some kind of taxi and rode up and down the streets of Link's home town, Crateria. Link directed the driver to an area he was familiar with, and had him stop.

"Wait right there." Link said as the driver gave him a form of an OK. It wasn't too long before the Jedi Padawan came across a familiar face, one who was trying to make an honest shilling.

"Junk shop Scizor?" Link said in Scizor's own language when he noticed his former 'owner' trying to fix something. "Let me help you with that."

"What? What do you want?" Scizor asked, not recognizing him. It was than he noticed a lightsaber on his belt. "Wait! You're a Jedi! Whatever it is, I didn't do it!"

"I'm looking for Saria Timehero." Link said as he continued. After hearing that, Scizor started to realize it.

"Link?" Scizor asked in the Republic language. "Little Link?…Nah!" Once Link put down the item Scizor was fiddling with and saw it was repaired, he knew it. "You _are_ Link! It is you! You sure sprouted, eh? A Jedi, whattaya know!" After finding that Link was a Jedi, he got an idea. "Hey…maybe you could help with some deadbeats who owe me a lot of money!"

"My mother." Link demanded.

"Oh yeah. Saria." Scizor said. "She's not mine no more, I sold her."

"You sold her?" Link asked.

"Years ago." Scizor said. "Sorry Link, but you know, business is business. Yeah, I sold her to a moisture farmer named…uh…Climber! At least I think it was Climber. Believe it or not, I heard he freed her and married her! Can ya beat that?"

"Do you know where they are now?" Link asked.

"Long way from here." Scizor said. "Someplace on the other side of Brinstar, I think."

"I'd like to know." Link said. Scizor could tell something was wrong with Link.

"Sure, absolutely." Scizor assured him. "Let's go look at my records."

* * *

Janus flew threw space on her way to a planet known as Titania with Marth not too far behind. As Janus flew into the planet's rings that were completely made of asteroids, A notice went off inside her ship.

"Mom!" Samus panicked as she heard a beeping and saw that someone was on their tail. "I think we're being tracked!"

"He must have put a homing device on our hull." Janus said. "Hang on, Samus. We'll move into the asteroid field and we'll have a couple of surprises for him." Samus grinned mischievously at the sound of this. Janus pressed a button on the console and dropped a small canister into the field. Marth dodged the canister when it came at him, and immediately knew what it was.

"Seismic charges!" He said to his Game and Watch droid. "Stand By." As the charge struck a larger asteroid, it silently exploded. The explosion pulled back, and resulted in a giant shockwave that ripped even more asteroids right in two! Marth sped through the asteroid field to avoid the blast and the split asteroids, as well as keep up with Janus. As he got close to her ship, Janus dropped another seismic charge, forcing Marth to take evasive action again. As Marth evaded, Janus saw that Marth was still on her tail.

"He doesn't seem to take a hint, this guy." Janus mumbled. It was then she saw a hole that ran right through an entire asteroid and flew into it. Marth followed, but could only rely on his own light as twists and turns inside the asteroid made him lose sight of Janus.

"Watch out!" Samus called as the hole in the asteroid got really narrow near the exit. Janus was forced to go into a spin before exiting. She hid behind another asteroid and waited for Marth to follow her out. When he did so, Janus turned the tables and began following him. The hunter had become the hunted.

"Get him, Mom! Get him!" Samus said once she saw the Jedi's starfighter. "Fire!" Janus unleashed a barrage of blasts, leaving Marth with little room to maneuver.

"Oh, blast! This is why I hate flying!." Marth cursed. He tried to shake Janus off, sending several of her shots into other asteroids. Janus soon scored two hits on Marth's left wing, but they weren't enough to finish the job.

"We got him!" Samus cheered.

"We'll just have to finish him." Janus replied as she armed a missile. She fired, and the missile was on Marth's tail within seconds. The Jedi twisted and turned, but it wasn't enough to shake off the projectile.

"Game and Watch Red, prepare to jettison the spare part canisters." Marth said. He saw two asteroids coming closer to him, and that's when he made his move. "Fire them now!" A hatch on the back of his small ship opened, sending spare parts and other debris into the path of the missile. As Marth flew through the asteroids, the missile detonated. Marth knew Janus saw this, and actually landed on one of the asteroids, switching off his computer as he did so. This would make him invisible to Janus, and make her think she got him.

"Well, we won't be seeing him again." Janus chuckled as Samus joined in. As Janus made her way closer to Titania, Marth waited. He could find Janus later, but couldn't risk following her anymore. Janus flew onto the surface of the planet as an underground hangar was ready to accept her ship.

"Well Game and Watch Red, I think we've waited long enough." Marth said as he took off for the planet as well. Marth flew to the area that Janus was already in, but somehow knew he wouldn't be accepted as easily. The Trade Federation was already here. No doubt Janus came here for refuge.

"There's an unusual concentration of Federation ships over there, Game and Watch Red." Marth said. Marth flew away about one mile, and landed his ship. There was only one thing he could do now, investigate using stealth.

* * *

"Stay with the ship, Mr. Game & watch." Zelda said as she and Link arrived at what the hoped was their destination. A small hut on one side of Brinstar. As they approached, a protocol droid greeted them.

"Oh! Um, hello." The droid said. "How might I be of service? I am—"

"ROB?" Link asked. His droid was now sporting coverings, but Link could tell it was him.

"Oh?" ROB64 asked. He soon realized who was there. "The maker! Oh, Master Link! I knew you would return. I knew it! And Miss Sheik. Oh, my." ROB hadn't know that Zelda was in disguise the last time they had met, but she or Link would tell him later.

"Hello ROB." Zelda said politely.

"Bless my circuits!" ROB said. "I'm so pleased to see you both."

"I've come to see my mother." Link said.

"Oh." ROB said. "Um, I think perhaps we'd better go indoors." Before they got in, Link met another man and woman. These had to be the ones ROB was staying with.

"Master Popo, might I present two most important visitors." ROB said.

"I'm Link Timehero." Link said, introducing himself.

"Popo Climber." The man said. "This is my girlfriend, Nana."

"Hello." Nana said.

"I'm Zelda." The senator said, introducing herself as well.

"I guess I'm your stepbrother." Popo said. "I had a feeling you might show up someday."

"Is my mother here?" Link asked.

"No, she's not." Another voice said coming from a new person in a wheelchair. "Topi Climber." He said as he extended his hand, allowing link to shake it. "Saria is my wife. We should go inside. We have a lot to talk about." A few minutes later, Link, Zelda, Topi, and Popo were talking while Nana brought them some drinks.

"It was just before dawn." Topi said. "They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Zebesian Raiders. Your mother had gone out early, like she always did to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks, she was about halfway home when they took her." Topi let out a sigh as he tried to continue. "Those Zebesians walk like men but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I'd be out there with them, but after I lost my leg I just couldn't ride anymore, until I heal. I don't want to give up on her but she's been gone a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long." After letting all this sink in, Link stood up.

"Where are you going?" Popo asked.

"To find my mother." Link said, now on a mission.

"Your mother's dead, son." Topi said. "Accept it." Link shook his head as Zelda saw the stubbornness in Link. She followed him out of the room and saw him back outside, staring off into the horizon. No matter what Saria's current condition was, Zelda knew Link was going and that he could not be stopped as she approached him.

"You're gonna have to stay here." Link said. "These are good people, Zelda. You'll be safe."

"Link—" She said, it was all she could say as she hugged him. She was afraid for Link and anything he might do. As they broke the hug, Link walked over to a speeder.

"I won't be long." He said. He was determined to make sure that the next words he spoke were to Saria as he sped off on the speeder. He looked all over the area, including asking several people in the nearby town of Brinstar as well as some Kirby junk dealers.

* * *

Back on Titania, Marth had sneaked into what he found out to be a separatist stronghold. Quietly walking down the halls, he soon found another balcony; similar to the one on Aquas where he watched the creation of the clone army. What he saw was quite similar. Machine's building machines, a droid army to be exact. As he left and continued down the hall, he heard voices approaching.

"We must persuade the Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance to sign the treaty." One voice said. It sounded familiar to Marth, but he couldn't place it right away. It was a male voice, so it couldn't have been Janus Aran.

"What about the senator from Hyrule?" another voice asked. There was no mistaking this one, it was Trade Federation Viceroy Wolf O'Donnell. "Is she dead yet? I am not signing your treaty until I have her head on my desk."

"I am a man of my word, Viceroy." The first voice said. Marth ducked behind a corner as they approached and saw the owner of the voice. Count Mewtwo himself!

"With these new battle droids we've built for you, you'll have the finest army in the galaxy." Another alien said. Marth followed them from a safe distance, and when they entered a conference room, he climbed up to the hollow ceiling and spied on them from there.

"As I explained to you earlier," Mewtwo began. "I am convinced that 10,000 more systems will rally to our cause with your support, gentlemen."

"What you are proposing could be constructed as treason." Another alien warned in another language.

"The Techno Union army is at your disposal, Count." The voice from before said.

"The Banking Clan will sign your treaty." Another alien said.

"Good, very good." Count Mewtwo said. "Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support and when their battle droids are combined with yours, we shall have an army greater than any in the galaxy. The Jedi will be overwhelmed. The Republic will agree to any demands we make." Marth had to get back to his ship and transmit his findings to the Jedi Council as he calmly walked out as not to bring attention to himself. He obviously was not welcome.

* * *

After hours of searching, Link caught a hot tip that there was a Zebesian Village not far from the southern outskirts of Brinstar that had taken hostage of a woman about a month ago. Taking the chance, he quietly slipped into the village undetected, and picked a hut at random. He had to be careful, for there were Zebesians everywhere and if he were detected, it would be anything but good news. He quietly ignited his Lightsaber and cut a perfectly round hole in the hut he had chosen.

Sure enough, strapped to a torture rack inside was Saria Timehero. She had been badly beaten and was bleeding from many different spots. Her face had several deep cuts that would surely become scars. Needing help desperately, Link untied her bleeding arms from the rack. As he pulled at the straps, he could hear his mother give a few weak moans.

"Mom?" Link said, trying to get her to respond. "Mom, Mom?" Once he had her off the rack, he held her in his arms, and let her rest.

"Link?" She asked weakly. "Link? Is it you?"

"I'm here, Mom." Link said. "You're safe."

"Link?" Saria asked again. To her, his presence was too good to be true. "Oh, you look so handsome. As Saria touched Link's face, he gently kissed her palm. "My son. My grown-up son. I'm so proud of you, Link."

"I missed you." Link whispered.

"Now I am complete." Saria whispered back. "I love y--." Saria couldn't get the rest out.

"Stay with me, Mom." Link pleaded. "Everything—" He was unsure how to continue.

"I love—" She tried again. "I…I love—" Link noticed Saria mouth the word 'you', but a tear escaped his eye when she started to groan; a death groan. And with that, she stopped breathing. Link was overcome with uncontrollable sadness as the only family he had ever known died in his arms. It was when he closed her eyelids with his two fingers when he realized that this was exactly how it had happened in his dreams. All that time he had been afraid to lose her, and in that moment, Master Yoshi's words rang true.

Fear led to anger.

The look on Links face changed from uncontrollable sadness to an angry, nasty, shaking scowl. He stepped back outside and quickly caught the attention of the Zebesians when they heard his lightsaber ignite. In no time, the two who were guarding Saria were decapitated. Upon seeing this, the females and the children of the species took refuge as the males prepared to defend themselves from Link.

They stood absolutely no chance against the anguished Jedi.

* * *

"_Link!"_ Master Yoshi heard someone call during his meditation. There was no mistaking that voice, It was Marth Lowell's former master, Roy. _"Link, NO!" _Yoshi seemed disturbed upon hearing what Roy was trying to tell him, at least that's what Master Falcon presumed when he walked in. He had no idea that Yoshi had inadvertently reached communications with the dead. Falcon took a seat, and began to speak once Yoshi opened his eyes.

"What is it?" Falcon asked.

"Pain." Yoshi responded with sorrow in his voice. "Suffering. Death I feel. Something terrible has happened." Master Falcon sighed at this. "Young Timehero is in pain. Terrible pain."


	6. Rescue Attempt

**A/N: **Ha! I knew you guys were still interested! So here's Chapter 6. I don't recall introducing anybody new here, but the gist of it is the fact that Marth gets into a heap of trouble here, and The Jedi Council must come to his aid…But Link and Zelda get there first!

CHAPTER 6: RESCUE ATTEMPT

Once Marth got back to his ship, he powered up his transmitter. However, due to the few hits Janus Aran had scored on his ship, he encountered some problems.

"The transmitter is working, but we're not receiving a return signal." Marth grimaced to his Game and Watch droid. "Mute City's too far. Game and Watch Red, can you boost the power?" The droid beeped and shook its head, meaning a no.

"We'll have to try something else." Marth said as he climbed into the cockpit for better access. "Maybe we can contact Link on Hyrule. It's much closer." Marth called for Link and waited for an answer.

"Link? Link do you copy?" Marth called. "This is Marth Lowell. Link?" Marth sighed when he did not get a signal.

"Link's not on Hyrule, Game and Watch Red." Marth said. "I'm going to try and widen the range. I do hope nothing's happened to him." After a few seconds, he was successful and found his Padawan, but he was unaware that some type of life form was spying on him.

"That's Link's tracking signal all right, but it's coming from Zebes." Marth said as he angrily climbed back out. "What in the blazes is he doing there? I told him to stay on Hyrule." Game and Watch Red beeped a few times.

"We haven't got much time." Marth said as he prepared to send Link a message. "Link? Link, do you copy? This is Marth Lowell." Marth was distracted for a moment as he heard a creature screech in the distance.

* * *

Back on Zebes, aboard the ship Link and Zelda had rented, Mr. Game and Watch fiddled with the signal, trying to intercept Marth's message.

"_Retransmit this message…Link, do you copy? Link—" _The audio was failing, but Mr. Game & Watch was determined to get the full message. _"My long-range…has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Mute City._

As Mr. Game & Watch tried to catch Marth's message, Link had returned on the speeder, 19 hours after he had left. As he stopped at the small hut that was home to the Climber family, Popo ran out to greet him, who was soon followed by Zelda, Topi, and Nana as well. The first thing they saw Link do was lift a corpse off of the back of the speeder. Link's mission was to find and save his mother. And from what Zelda and the Climbers saw, he was only half-successful. Link said not a word, only walked ahead with his dead mother in his arms. As he reached Topi, he only looked at him, and the old man hung his head.

* * *

A few hours later, Link was in the room he stayed in ever since the Climbers prepared to give Saria a small family funeral. Zelda walked in with a tray carrying a plate of food and a drink, but Link pretended not to notice her. He just continued with his business.

"I brought you something." Zelda said in her most caring of tones. "Are you hungry?"

"The shifter broke." Link whispered as he tried to fix a small landspeeder. "Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing things. I'm good at fixing things, always was." Zelda set the tray down, as Link continued to speak. "But I couldn't— Why'd she have to die?" Link's tone became slowly more saddened. "Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have!"

"Sometimes there are things no one can fix." Zelda said, still in her caring tone. "You're not all-powerful, Link."

"Well, I should be!" Link complained. "Someday I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever!" Link whipped around and finally faced the Senator. "I promise you. I will even learn to stop people from dying."

"Link." Zelda said, confused with his words.

"It's all Marth's fault!" Link shouted, looking for someone to place the blame on. "He's jealous! He's holding me back!" Frustrated, Link threw a tool into another room.

"What's wrong, Link?" Zelda said. Something told her that something else had happened to him after he had found his mother.

"I— I killed them." Link said hesitantly, referring to the Zebesians. "I killed them all. They're dead. Every single one of them." Link turned around and faced Zelda again; the anger in his eyes put fear into hers. "And not just the men, but the women, and the children too. They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals! I hate them!" After finally getting it out, Link crouched onto the floor. Zelda sat next to him with her hand on his knee.

"To be angry is to be human." Zelda said.

"I'm a Jedi." Link complained. "I _know_ I'm better than this." Zelda ran her fingers through his hair, as Link was finally able to cry for his mother.

* * *

The next day, a grave had been dug and filled, as Link, Zelda, and the climbers stood at Saria's grave.

"I know wherever you are, it's become a better place." Topi said in eulogy. "You were the most loving partner a man could ever have. Good-bye, my darling wife. And thank you." As Topi finished, Link stepped forward, dropped to his knees, and placed some dirt from her grave into a pouch.

"I wasn't strong enough to save you, Mom." He lamented. "I wasn't strong enough. But I promise I won't fail again." Link stood, but continued. "I miss you…so much." As this continued, Mr. Game and Watch had strolled up to them. He let out a few beeps prompting them to take notice.

"Mr. Game and Watch? What are you doing here?" Zelda asked. The droid beeped a few times in response.

"It seems he is carrying a message from a Marth Lowell." ROB said, easily understanding the droids language, being a droid himself. "Hmm. Master Link, does that name mean anything to you?" Link and Zelda exchanged glances and ran back to the ship. Once there, Mr. Game and Watch plugged Marth's transmission into the transmitter.

"_Link, my long range transmitter has been knocked out."_ Marth said. _"Retransmit this message to Mute City."_ At Marth's recorded request, Zelda put in a communication link to Chancellor Dragmire's office. Present there were also several members of the Jedi Council. Link felt better when he could see both Marth's message and the Jedi Council at the same time.

"_I have tracked the bounty hunter, Janus Aran to the droid foundries on Titania."_ Marth continued. _"The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here and it is clear that Viceroy O'Donnell is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Zelda. The Commerce Guilds and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Mewtwo and are forming a—wait!" _Concern grew in all that heard the message as Marth ignited his lightsaber. _"Wait."_ In that instant, Marth was forced to block several shots and run for cover. The transmitter then caught sight of Marth's attacker, a Droideka. Soon, the transmission ended.

"_More happening on Titania, I feel, than has been revealed." _Yoshi said.

"_I agree."_ Master Falcon said. _"Link, we will deal with Count Mewtwo. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are. Protect the senator at all costs. That is your first priority."_

"Understood, Master." Link replied as the transmission faded.

"They'll never get there in time to save him." Zelda complained as she pulled up a map. "They have to come halfway across the galaxy. Look. Titania is less than a parsec away."

"If he's still alive." Link said.

"Link, are you just gonna sit here and let him die?" Zelda pleaded. "He's your friend, your mentor. He's—"

"He's like my father!" Link replied sternly. "But you heard Master Falcon. He gave me strict orders to stay here!"

"He gave you strict orders to protect me." Zelda corrected as she started the ship. "And _I'm_ going to help Marth. If you plan to protect me, you'll just have to come along." Link couldn't help but smile as he sat down next to Zelda. Also sitting behind them was Link's handmade property, ROB64. As the droid took a seat, Mr. Game and Watch beeped.

"I'm not worried, Mr. Game and Watch." ROB insisted. "It's just I've never flown before." And with that, Link and Zelda's rented ship was on its way to Titania.

* * *

Back in Mute City, the meeting continued between the Jedi Council and the Senators.

"The Commerce Guilds are preparing for war." Luigi said. "There can be no doubt of that."

"Count Mewtwo must have made a treaty with them." Dragmire added.

"The debate is over." Another senator said in a foreign language. "Now we need that clone army."

"Unfortunately, the debate is not over." Luigi corrected. "The senate will never approve the use of clones before the separatists attack."

"This is a crisis." Dragmire's assistant said. "The senate must vote the chancellor emergency powers. He can then approve the creation of an army."

"But what senator would have the courage to propose such a radical amendment?" Dragmire asked.

"If only…Senator Zelda were here." His assistant complained. Mikau, who was in the room, heard this. He _was_ filling in for her as Senator of the Zoras.

* * *

On Titania, Marth hovered above the ground as his anti-gravity holding cell kept him firmly in place. He turned his head when he saw the door open, and in stepped Count Mewtwo.

"Traitor." Marth hissed at the former Jedi.

"Oh, no, my friend." Mewtwo said. "This is a mistake, a terrible mistake. They have gone too far. This is madness."

"I thought you were the leader here, Mewtwo." Marth said.

"This had nothing to do with me, I assure you." Mewtwo replied. "I will petition immediately to have you set free."

"Well I hope id doesn't take too long." Marth said. "I have work to do."

"May I ask why a Jedi Knight is all the way out here on Titania?" Mewtwo asked.

"I've been tracking a bounty hunter named Janus Aran." Marth replied. "Do you know her?"

"There are no bounty hunters here that I am aware of." Mewtwo lied. "The Titanians don't trust them."

"Who can blame them?" Marth asked. "But she is here, I can assure you."

"It's a great pity that our paths have never crossed before, Marth." Mewtwo said. Marth had never met Mewtwo before, but knew his voice from old transmissions in the Jedi archives. "Roy always spoke very highly of you. I wish he were still alive. I could use his help right now."

"Roy would never join you." Marth spat; he knew Mewtwo was lying.

"Don't be so sure, my young Jedi." Mewtwo said. "You forget that he was once my apprentice just as you were once his. He knew all about the corruption in the senate but he would never have gone along with it if he had learned the truth as I have."

"The truth?" Marth asked, curious.

"The truth." Mewtwo repeated. "What if I told you that the Republic was now under the control of the dark lord of the Sith?"

"No, that's not possible." Marth denied. "The Jedi would be aware of it."

"The dark side of the Force has clouded their vision, my friend." Mewtwo told him. "Hundreds of senators are now under the influence of a Sith lord called Darth Ganon."

"I don't believe you." Marth denied.

"The viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Ganon, but he was betrayed ten years ago by the dark lord."" Mewtwo said. "He came to me for help. He told me everything. You must join me, Marth, and together we will destroy the Sith!"

"I will never join you, Mewtwo." Marth said confidently.

"It may be difficult to secure your release." Mewtwo said as he started for the door.

* * *

Master Falcon took a seat on a senator's platform during a session of Congress. With him was Master Yoshi, who was curious to what would be said.

"It's clear that these separatists made a pact with the Trade Federation." Mikau said. "Senators, fellow delegates, in response to this direct threat to the Republic, I propose that the senate immediately give emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor." There were several shouts of approval, some cheers, and even a chant of "Dragmire, Dragmire!"

"Order!" Dragmire's assistant called. "We shall have order!"

"It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this calling." Dragmire said. "I love democracy. I love the Republic. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated. And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a grand army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the separatists."

"It is done then." Falcon said to Yoshi. "I will take what Jedi we have left and go to Titania and help Marth."

"Visit I will the cloners on Aquas and see this army they have created for the Republic." Yoshi said.

* * *

A few hours of flight later, and Link and Zelda arrived on Titania.

"See those columns of steam straight ahead?" Zelda asked. "They're exhaust vents of some type."

"That'll do." Link replied; the steam would do fine to cloak their arrival. Link flew the ship into a vent, and landed as they prepared to disembark.

"Look, whatever happens out there, follow my lead." Zelda insisted. "I'm not interested in getting into a war here. As a member of the senate, maybe I can find a diplomatic solution to this mess."

"Don't worry." Link said. "I've given up trying to argue with you." Mr. Game and Watch gave a few beeps to ROB as Link and Zelda left.

"My little black friend, if they had needed our help, they would have asked for it, wouldn't they?" ROB asked. "You obviously have a great deal to learn about human behavior." Link pulled a lever outside, and was granted entrance when a door opened. ROB64 and Mr. Game and Watch were still on the ship arguing.

"For a mechanic, you seem to do an excessive amount of thinking." ROB said. Mr. Game and Watch replied in his normal fashion, beeps.

"I am programmed to understand humans!" ROB argued. Game and Watch beeped again. "That means I am in charge here! Where are you going now? You don't know what's out there. Have you no sense at all? Oh! Idiot!" ROB followed Mr. Game & Watch outside. "Please wait. Do you know where you're going?"

"As Link and Zelda continued down the hall, the walls began moving, and several Titanian warriors sprung loose behind them.

"Wait." Link said, sensing their presence. As he heard them squawk in attack, Link ignited his Lightsaber and did what he did best as Zelda took off down the hallway. The Padawan caught up to the Senator and they both ran through a door, which slammed shut behind them! They were in the Droid factory! The small floor retracted below them, sending Zelda down to a conveyor belt as Link held onto the door.

"Zelda!" Link called as he dropped after her. He ignited his weapon again and fended off more Titanians as he tried to catch up to Zelda.

Zelda saw there was a stamper right in front of her, and if she was caught underneath it, it would be over for her. Waiting for the right moment, she ran under it, and then another, and finally a third, and then past other machines. Link jumped to a conveyor belt below him and continued fighting his enemies.

"Oh my goodness! Shut me down!" ROB said as he entered the droid factory. "Machines making machines. Huh! How perverse. OH!" Mr. Game and Watch had bumped into him, causing him to gasp. "Calm down, Mr. Game and Watch! I almost fell. You'll get your chance—Whoa!" This time, ROB did drop that time as Mr. Game and Watch pushed him off the edge.

"Oh! I'm scrap!" ROB called as he landed on a flying droid and held on. "It's a nightmare! OH, I want to go home! Ahh!" The droid was then dropped onto a conveyor belt, and struggled to his feet. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Mr. Game and Watch had other plans as his Judgement attack wielded a Jetpack, allowing the small droid to fly where he needed to go.

All the while, it was Link's turn to dodge the machines on the conveyor belts, some he cut through with his lightsaber. At the same time, a Titanian had cut Zelda's path short as he tried to push her off the platform. He had succeeded, but Zelda landed in a large bucket, and the walls were too steep to climb. Zelda could feel the temperature get hotter, as she was headed for the molten chamber. Luckily, Mr. Game and Watch was on his way.

"I wonder what happened to poor little Mr. Game and Watch." ROB said. "He's always getting himself into trouble." At that moment, a machine swung around and knocked ROB's head right off his shoulders and onto the production line with the rest of the droids heads! Meanwhile, his body stumbled around and landed with the rest of the droids bodies! ROB's body soon ended up with a battle droid's head, and vice-versa.

"Oh, I'm so confused." ROB complained.

With a force push, Link threw several tools into four more Titanian's from a distance. He then did a force leap and landed higher on a conveyor belt. A gear had caught him off guard and knocked him down, as his hand got trapped by a stamper. His hand wasn't crushed, but it was definitely stuck.

Zelda soon saw the doom that awaited her. The bucket she was in was to be filled with liquid hot melted metal! Luckily, Mr. Game and Watch had landed near the dispenser, and tried to deactivate it.

Link was still trying to get his hand free. He saw what appeared to be a giant axe headed towards him, and got an idea.

Zelda's bucket was next to be filled. But thanks to Mr. Game and Watch, the melted metal never came. However, the bucket then dropped, allowing the Senator to spill out.

The Jedi Padawan maneuvered his body under the axe, and as it came down, he was able to get his hand free. He tried to arm his weapon again, but saw that then end had been cut off by the axe, making it useless.

"Not again!" Link complained. "Marth's gonna kill me." Zelda was soon surrounded by Titanians, and was forced to surrender being unarmed. Link was also surrounded soon thereafter by Droidekas, as well as a bounty hunter clad in a blue Chozo built power suit.

"Don't move, Jedi." Janus Aran hissed. "Take him away." As the droids advanced, Link went quietly.


	7. Love and War

**A/N: **Ok, first of all, happy 2007 to everybody. There's a reason that this chapter took so long. It's not work, it's not Christmas, it's not computer problems, and it's not alcoholism. I don't know where that last one came from. Anyway, there is a perfectly good reason for why this one took so long.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Nuff said. Anyway, I've given the three monsters that Dooku releases on the Jedi new monster names to make them more Nintendo-y

CHAPTER 7: LOVE AND WAR

Just minutes after their capture by Janus Aran, Link and Zelda were cuffed and put on a chariot. For trespassing, they were to be executed, along with Marth Lowell, who was already in the center of the arena chained to a thirty foot marble post.

"Don't be afraid." Link said to Zelda as they prepared to be put on display for the Titanians for their deaths.

"I'm not afraid to die." Zelda whispered back. What she said next caught the Padawan completely off guard. "I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I love you." Zelda responded.

"You love me?" Link repeated, unsure if he had heard her right. "I thought that we had decided not to fall in love, that we would be forced to live a lie and that it would destroy our lives."

"I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway." Zelda said, pointing out an obvious loophole as her face came closer to his. "I truly…deeply…love you. And before we die, I want you to know." The two of them couldn't control it anymore as they gave in and touched lips for the second time. Unlike the first, it felt right for both of them instead of feeling like the two were crossing forbidden boundaries. They broke apart as they heard the chariot leave the inside of the preparation chamber and were brought out to the savage crowd.

As they neared the four poles, they found Marth already chained to the one on the far right, and the two next to them had their names on them as they were brought towards them. Undetected, Zelda was able to find a bobby pin in the pouch on her belt, and concealed it in her fist before she was chained up. As Link neared the post he was to be chained to, Marth spoke to him.

"I was beginning to wonder if you _got_ my message." Marth said.

"I retransmitted it just as you had requested, Master." Link confirmed. "Then we decided to come and rescue you."

"Good job." Marth replied sarcastically as he assessed his current position and Link was chained. Cheers grew as Count Mewtwo appeared on a balcony above them. With him were the Chief of the Titanians, Viceroy O'Donnell and his assistant Leon Powalski, as well as Janus Aran and her daughter Samus.

"Settle down, settle down." The Titanian Chief called. "Let the executions begin." Three gates on the far side of the arena were raised as three giant monsters came out. The first was a giant Dodongo, then a huge Gohma. The third was a vicious Persian, which fiercely attacked a Titanian right off of the animal it was riding, much to the crowds delight.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Link said as the Titanians poked and prodded the creatures closer to their intended pray.

"Just relax." Marth told him. "Concentrate."

"What about Zelda?" Link asked.

"She seems to be on top of things." Marth replied. Link looked over and saw that Zelda was able to free one of her hands and start climbing up the post.

The Gohma swiped a few times at Marth, but he was able to dodge. Marth was able to maneuver around another swipe, sending the Gohma's claw into his chain and freeing him.

As the Dodongo charged Link, he jumped and landed on the monster's back. The Padawan then wrapped his chain around the beasts horn, and it broke as the Dodongo snapped its head back.

Zelda was in quite a predicament when the Persian started climbing the post after her. She swung the chain into its face a few times before the beast swiped a claw at her. The Senator screamed in pain as the claws dug into her back and immediately drew blood, much to the delight of Wolf O'Donnell. The Persian jumped down and began circling the tower anxiously, as if it were a dog that had chased a cat up a tree.

Marth soon found himself on the ground rolling to dodge the Gohma's sharp piercing claws. The Jedi Master tried to stay close to the tower; any object separating the two of them was best for his well-being.

Link continued to ride the uncontrollable Dodongo looking for any way to possibly tame it as he was chased by Titanians. At one point he fell off, but with the chain keeping his wrists together wrapped around the beast's horn, Link was dragged across the ground in a very painful manner.

The Persian was on it's way up the post again, but this time Zelda was able to somewhat tie the chain shorter, allowing her to jump off her post and land a drop kick into the beasts chest and knock it to the ground; causing the Persian to yelp upon impact.

"She can't do that!" Wolf protested. "Shoot her…or something!" Zelda began climbing the post again as the Persian staggered to its four feet and began pacing back and forth.

The Gohma charged and knocked the post over, forcing Marth to quickly roll out of the way or be crushed. With nothing between them anymore and the Jedi on his feet, Marth began to run, with the Gohma not far behind.

Link was relieved when the Dodongo suddenly stopped. Hoping the monster had calmed down somewhat, he slowly approached it and waited for it to do something. The last thing Link wanted to do is scare it and send it into a run again.

As a Titanian charged with a spear, Marth grabbed the weapon and flung his enemy right off the creature he was riding and to the ground. Though it wasn't a lightsaber, Marth stood a better chance against the Gohma with a weapon than without it.

Once the Dodongo shook Link's chain free, it shook it's lower abdomen, allowing Link to mount it again, this time with some control. The crowd watched as Link's first destination was Zelda's post. He steered the Dodongo into the side of the Persian, puncturing the monster with it's horn and killing it while Marth tried to fend off his own attacker. As Zelda got both of her hands free, she looked down and saw Link waiting for her on the beast he had tamed.

"Jump!" Link called to her. Zelda dropped down to the Dodongo landing right behind Link and sneaking a quick peck on his cheek. With that, Link and Zelda were off again, using a Dodongo as their own personal horse.

In one last ditch effort, Marth threw the spear he was carrying into the side of the Gohma. With a scream of pain, the Gohma reached over with it's head, pulled the spear out with it's teeth, and bit it in two! As he saw his comrades ride by, Marth ran and took a seat on the Dodongo behind Zelda.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be!" Wolf whined. "Janus, finish her off!"

"Patience Viceroy, patience." Count Mewtwo said to him. "She will die." Mewtwo was confident of this as seven droidekas surrounded the Dodongo and it's riders. Being unarmed, this may be considered the end for the two Jedi and the Hyrule Senator.

But then salvation arrived.

Count Mewtwo watched intently as Link, Marth, and Zelda were about to be finished of when he heard the sound of a lightsaber ignite behind him. As he turned around, he saw the blade of that very weapon held at Janus Aran's throat.

"Master Falcon, how pleasant of you to join us." Mewtwo said to the Jedi who had quietly appeared behind him.

"This party's over." Falcon insisted. Mewtwo noticed more lightsabers ignite in the crowd as several Jedi stormed the arena and sent the spectators fleeing.

"Brave but, uh, foolish, my old Jedi friend." Mewtwo continued. "You're impossibly outnumbered."

"I don't think so." Falcon scoffed.

"We'll see." Mewtwo finished. Just then, Falcon turned to hear heavy footsteps approaching and saw four Super Battle Droids open fire on him. Falcon deflected a few shots before jumping off the balcony onto the grounds of the arena, allowing the Force to guide him there uninjured. His robe caught fire from one of the blasts in all the chaos, and he quickly discarded it. The flames were courtesy of Janus Aran, who shot at him with her short-range flamethrower.

As the spectators continued to flee, a droid army ran out and opened fire on the Jedi, forcing the Jedi to run into battle, lightsabers blazing! Atop the Dodongo, Link and Marth caught two lightsabers thrown their way and used them to cut off their shackles.

"My legs aren't moving." Said the droid head with ROB64's body. "I must need maintenance."

A blast from a Titanian knocked one of the three remaining posts over, sending Link, Zelda, and Marth to the ground. Zelda was prepared to fight for her life as well and quickly grabbed a blaster from an already downed droid. She opened fire on the Titanians riding the carriage that brought her and Link into the arena. As she commandeered the creature towing it, Link ran into the vehicle and the two of them became mobile in a hurry with Zelda blasting at anything that moved and didn't have a lightsaber while Link deflected blasts and chopped up droids left and right.

"What's all this noise?" ROB asked as the body he was on approached the arena. "A…A battle! Oh, there's been some terrible mistake! I'm programmed for etiquette, not destruction!"

Falcon leaped over a droid and deflected a blast back at it while it continued to fire upon him. He soon was back-to-back with Marth as the two of them continued to defend themselves. One Jedi was able to deflect a blast and knock a battle droid's head off of ROB's body, both crashing to the ground. One even got courage enough to leap to Mewtwo's balcony, but he didn't see the light of another day after Janus opened fire on him and sent him plummeting to his doom.

All the commotion scared the Dodongo and sent it into a run. As it past Falcon, the Jedi brought his lightsaber up and sliced once, claiming it's horn. As it crashed and burned, Falcon noticed a new face in the battle when he looked for his lightsaber that had been knocked out of his hand; Janus Aran. The bounty hunter dived for the weapon, but it was Force pulled out of reach by Master Falcon. Janus couldn't get back to her feet as she was soon trampled by the Dodongo, which shorted out Space Jump boots. As the monster charged again, Janus fired a few concussion missiles that ended the beasts life.

Janus then turned back around to fire on a fast approaching Master Falcon. The Jedi expertly dodged her blasts as he continued to advance. Once he was close enough, Falcon made to slashes. The first claimed half of her arm canon, rendering it useless.

The second claimed her head…and her life. Young Samus, who had scurried into a hiding place, saw the whole thing as her mother's body dropped to the ground. Janus Aran was dead. This even surprised Count Mewtwo!

"Die, Jedi dogs!" ROB yelled as he fired, but then quickly caught himself. "Oh! What did I say!?" The Jedi continued to defend themselves, but most of the apprentices and even some masters had already met their doom. Count Mewtwo looked around for familiar faces. Still in the fray, he spotted Master Falcon, Peppy Hare, Marth Lowell, Link Timehero, and even Senator Zelda.

"Oh dear. I'm terribly sorry about all this!" ROB complained as his foreign body continued to fire. A Force push from an unscathed Jedi knocked him to his back, and a Super Battle Droid landed right on top of him.

"Excuse me. I'm trapped, I can't get up." ROB said to the downed droid on top of him.

A shot from a droideka killed the creature Zelda was riding, sending her and Link to the ground. As the carriage tipped over, Link and Zelda took refuge inside. Link deflected enemy fire with his lightsaber as Zelda fired back.

"You call _this_ a diplomatic solution?" Link asked sarcastically.

"No, I call it aggressive negotiations." Zelda replied, equally sarcastic.

Marth continued to block enemy fire, but it wasn't long until that pesky Gohma was behind him again still looking for a meal. This time, Marth was armed to the teeth and hacked off the Gohma's legs. Having enough of this creature, Marth dealt the ending blow to it once it was on the ground by impaling it.

"Mr. Game and Watch, what are you doing here!?" ROB asked as his head looked over and saw that his flat, black, droid friend was there. Mr. Game and Watch did a judgement attack that shot a suction cup on a wire to the top of ROB's head.

"What are you doing?" ROB complained as Mr. Game and Watch attempted to separate his head from the battle droid's body. "Oh, stop that! You're going to strain something! My neck!" ROB's head popped off with ease as Mr. Game and Watch began to pull it elsewhere.

"No where are you taking me?" ROB demanded to know. "This is such a drag!" After Mr. Game and Watch stopped, ROB looked over and saw his own body. "Oh, I'm quite beside myself." Once properly aligned. Mr. Game and Watch produced a tool box and began to attach ROB's head to his own body.

"Mr. Game and Watch, be careful!" ROB complained as the droid worked with a welding torch. "You're going to singe something! Is my head on straight?"

The Jedi weren't having a lot of luck as the seemingly endless Droid army began to surround what remained of them. Once only about 20 or so remained, Mewtwo gave a signal, and the droid's ceased their fire. This gave the Jedi time to breathe and check on their downed comrades.

"Master Falcon, you have fought gallantly, worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi order." Mewtwo said. "Now it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."

"We will _not_ be hostages to be bartered, Mewtwo!" Falcon spat.

"Then, I'm sorry, old friend." Mewtwo said. The Jedi knew that the fire would start again, but once again, fate intervened.

"Look!" Zelda said as she pointed up. About five armored ships flew into the arena with even more above them. Marth noticed the pilots and those with them were none other than the Aquatian clone troopers, and commanding them was Master Yoshi!

"Around the survivors, a perimeter create!" Yoshi ordered. The ships began to circle their Jedi allies and blast droid after droid with tremendous rapid fire! Once close enough, the five ships landed, allowing the last of the Jedi, and Zelda, to escape, leaving all but two droids deactivated.

"Huh." ROB said as he sat up with his own body. "I had the most peculiar dream." The only one still in the arena was young Samus Aran, who was silently crying holding her dead mother's helmet in her hands.

* * *

The ships then began to fly towards the ships their enemies were using. Thousands of Battle Droids guarded them, but with the clone army on their side, they could give Count Mewtwo and his forces a fair fight. Masters Yoshi, Falcon, and Peppy Hare were all aboard the same ship discussing the possibilities of this battle.

"If Mewtwo escapes, rally more systems to his cause, he will." Yoshi said. As he finished that sentence, they were fired upon by Battle Droids from the ground. The ships moved into evasive maneuvers as they continued on course.

"Hold on!" Marth warned to his two comrades, Link and Zelda. As they grabbed onto a swinging rack to keep their balance, they saw they were approaching enemy ships. Most of the ship was concealed in the top half, the bottom half was for fuel storage.

"Aim right above the fuel cells!" Link called to his pilot. Two rockets made contact and destroyed the top half of the ship and toppling the giant fuel containers to the ground, crushing anything below them.

"Good call, my young Padawan." Marth smiled at his apprentice. Several ships had landed and put out some clone troopers to take on the droids head on, lead into battle by their Jedi generals as the battle raged on.

* * *

Inside the main compound, Count Mewtwo was speaking to his comrades.

"The Jedi have amassed a huge army." Wolf said in amazement.

"That doesn't seem possible." Mewtwo said, confused. "How could the Jedi come up with an army so quickly?"

"We must send all available droids into battle." Wolf warned.

"There are too many." Mewtwo sighed.

"Our communications have been jammed." The Titanian leader said.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, the war raged on as clone troopers began to turn up the heat and the Republic Gunships began to take it to enemy craft. The enemy fire heated up as three Jedi Masters watched as another of their ships was shot down.

"Pilot, land in that assembly area!" Falcon called.

"Yes, sir." The pilot replied as he landed the ships in currently friendly territory. Falcon and Hare stepped out and were greeted by more friendly clones.

"Sir, I have five special commando units awaiting your orders, sir." One said to Master Falcon. Falcon looked back, and saw that Master Yoshi was still on the ship.

"To the forward command center, take me." Yoshi ordered as the ship lifted off the ground. Yoshi watched as Master Falcon lead many more troops into battle against the approaching droids.

"Attack those Federation Starships, quickly!" Marth shouted to his pilot. Upon seeing the said ships launch rockets on an enemy ship, more did the same. At this time, Yoshi had arrived at his destination.

"Master Yoshi, all forward positions are advancing." A clone said to him.

"Very good." Yoshi smiled. "Very good." The master looked on as the battle continued. This would be an easy victory for the Jedi.


	8. Mewtwo's Loyalties

**A/N: **Ok, there are a few perfectly good reasons why this is late. First is because my hours have been changed and I have to work late. Second is that my car broke down and most of my attention has been on getting it fixed. And third, This is the last chapter of Episode II. What I intended to do is put the Last chapter of Episode II and the first of Episode III up the same day so that the readers who have this on alert don't get lost. Once you finish this, be sure to search for the next episode, because It should be up by the time you see this.

Also, I don't have the movies memorized, for the person who asked. I watch the movies while I type this so I know exactly what's going on.

CHAPTER 8: MEWTWO'S LOYALTIES

Back in the main compound on Titania, Count Mewtwo and his allies were watching the battle unfold. But with the way things were going, in the Jedi's favor, most of them were ready to back out.

"This is not looking good at all!" Viceroy O'Donnell complained.

"We must get the starships back into space." Leon said. Mewtwo knew what that meant, those two were retreating. As they left the room, the Titanian chief spoke with Mewtwo.

"We have to order a retreat." The chief said.

"My master will never allow the Republic to get away with this treachery." Mewtwo said angrily.

"I'm sending my warriors to hide in the catacombs." The Chief continued as he went to a console. "The Jedi must not find our designs for the ultimate weapon. If they find out what we are planning to build, we're doomed." The Chief handed Mewtwo a hologram of what appeared to be a sphere, some type of space station perhaps.

"I will take the designs with me to Mute City." Mewtwo said. "They will be much safer there, with my master."

* * *

The battle raged on, and the Clone Army was really taking it to the droids. The Droid's generals were wise to flee as Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Powalski were loaded into a shuttle and left the planet. In the same hangar, Count Mewtwo got on board a speeder and began to fly across the surface of Titania along with two escorts.

"Concentrate all your fire on the nearest starship." Yoshi ordered as he saw more ships retreating.

"Yes sir. Move all quadrants to sector 5-1-5." A Clone commander ordered. Several plasma blasts disabled one of the ships in mid flight, and sent it crashing back to the ground, sending up a dust cloud. Mewtwo though that would give him enough cover to escape. However he had been spotted by a Republic Gunship; one that had two Jedi aboard.

"Look over there!" Marth said as he spotted the speeder and it's two escorts.

"It's Mewtwo." Link said. "Shoot him down!"

"We're out of rockets, sir." The pilot replied.

"Follow him!" Link re-ordered.

"We're gonna need some help!" Zelda suggested.

"There isn't time." Marth told her. "Link and I can handle this!" As Mewtwo gave a signal, his two escorts pulled a complete turn of 360 degrees, and were soon firing on the gunship. It scored a minor hit, sending the ship bouncing off a sand dune. Link turned as he heard Zelda scream…and fall right out of the ship! Zelda's body rolled to the bottom of the sand dune.

"Zelda!" Link panicked. "Put the ship down!"

"Link! Don't let your personal feelings get in the way!" Marth said before turning to the pilot. "Follow that speeder!"

"Lower the ship!" Link yelled.

"I can't take Mewtwo alone!" Marth shouted back. "I need you! If we catch him, we can end this war right now! We have a job to do!"

"I don't care!" Link argued. "Put the ship down!"

"You will be expelled from the Jedi order!" Marth warned.

"I can't leave her!" Link complained.

"Come to your senses!" Marth said. "What do you think Zelda would do were she in your position?" Link couldn't say, they had to keep their love a secret. So he lied.

"She would do her duty." Link sighed.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, Yoshi could sense something growing in him. It wasn't about the war, that wouldn't cause this feeling.

Yoshi sensed the Sith.

"The droid army is in full retreat." A Clone troop said to the Jedi master.

"Well done, Commander." Yoshi said. However, he had to act on this feeling. "Bring me a ship."

* * *

Mewtwo was in disbelief that the Jedi were still on his tail, but finally reached the hangar where his ship was. Shortly after he flew the speeder inside, the ship docked, and Link and Marth ran out with their ignited lightsabers in hand. As they ran in to confront Mewtwo, their ship was gunned down, but the important thing was that they could now take Count Mewtwo in.

Mewtwo had sent a droid into his ship with something, presumably the plans to their battle station, when he turned around and saw two Jedi ready to confront him.

"You're gonna pay for all the Jedi that you killed today, Mewtwo." Link hissed.

"We'll take him together." Marth whispered. "You go in slowly on the left—"

"I'm taking him now!" Link interrupted as he rushed Mewtwo.

"No, Link! No!" Marth yelled as his Padawan ran towards his enemy. In one swift move, Mewtwo brought his right hand up, and a burst of energy grabbed Link and flung him against the wall painfully!

Marth had never seen the force power before, but knew what it was: Force Lightning. Only a Sith could use that power, and the Jedi brought his lightsaber up. Mewtwo had obviously joined the dark side.

"As you see, my Jedi powers are far beyond yours." Mewtwo said arrogantly to Marth. "Now, back down." Mewtwo shot Force Lightning at Marth, but the Jedi put his Lightsaber up in just the right position to negate the power.

"I don't think so." Marth replied. The Jedi watched as Count Mewtwo pulled out his own lightsaber, and prepared to do battle.

Marth charged, Mewtwo parried, and their lightsabers clashed as they tried to best the other. Marth swung at the legs, but Mewtwo jumped.

"Master Lowell, you disappoint me." Mewtwo smiled. "Yoshi holds you in such high esteem." Mewtwo slashed at the front, but Marth blocked, and quickly spun around to block a back slice.

"Surely you can do better!" Mewtwo said. Marth slashed for the Sith lord again, but the blocks kept coming, Mewtwo was _well_ trained with a lightsaber.

* * *

A clone trooper noticed someone lying in the sand, and went to see if this person was alright. She regained consciousness as he approached.

"Are you all right?" The soldier asked.

"Uh-huh." Zelda replied as she struggled to her feet.

"We'd better get back to the forward command center." The soldier suggested.

"No." Zelda replied. "Gather what troops you can, we've got to get to that hangar. Get a transport. Hurry!"

"Right away!" The trooper replied as the two of them ran towards the rest of their forces.

* * *

With their lightsabers locked, Marth and Mewtwo were in a contest of power at this moment, that's what Link saw as he weakly tried to get up. Marth seemed to be winning the struggle, until he saw that sly grin on Mewtwo's face. Mewtwo lightly tapped Marth's left arm with his lightsaber, forcing the Jedi to drop his lightsaber. Mewtwo then stabbed the Jedi in the thigh, toppling him to the ground. Marth's wounds were immediately cauterized by Mewtwo's weapon, but it still hurt enough to put him on the ground.

Mewtwo went to finish the Jedi, but another lightsaber blocked his. Link was back in the battle!

"Brave of you, boy." Mewtwo conceded as Marth tried to Force Pull his lightsaber. "But I would have thought you had learned your lesson."

"I _am_ a slow learner." Link replied.

"Link!" Marth shouted as he tossed his Lightsaber to Link. With two blades, Link began to take it to Mewtwo. After several slashes that made Link the aggressor, Mewtwo aimed for one of the weapons, and sliced it right in half. That was the second lightsaber Link had lost today. Luckily, he still had one.

A push off sent them reeling back and Link's weapon slashed through a power cable as the lights began to weaken. In the darkness, one could see the two lightsabers slashing at each other. Link slashed, Mewtwo parried, Link blocked, and over again. Once they approached Marth again, Link tried to keep Mewtwo away from his master, but a quick parry left Link open, and a slash from Mewtwo claimed his right arm! The tremendous amount of pain left Link unable to make a sound as Mewtwo force pushed the Padawan next to his master.

With both of them down, Mewtwo though he could take a breather, until he heard another slowly approaching. Mewtwo looked towards the door, and spotted his very own master. The one who called him his padawan.

"Master Yoshi." Mewtwo smiled.

"Count Mewtwo." Yoshi replied.

"You have interfered in our affairs for the last time." Mewtwo said as he Force Pulled a lighting structure off the wall and threw it in Yoshi's direction. The Jedi Master simply overpowered Mewtwo's force push, and threw it against the wall in time to see another headed his way, to which Yoshi did the same. Mewtwo looked up and saw several cracks in the ceiling above Yoshi, and tried to shake them loose. As they fell, Yoshi brought both arms up. Several fragments crashed around him, as Yoshi threw the rest that were directly above him to the side.

"Powerful you have become, Mewtwo." Yoshi said. "The dark side I sense in you."

"I've become more powerful than any Jedi." Mewtwo replied. "Even you." Mewtwo shot Force Lightning at Yoshi, but with a mighty force push, it was headed back in Mewtwo's direction. The Sith brought his hand up to block, and sent the Lightning crashing into the wall. Mewtwo fired again, but this time, Master Yoshi simply absorbed it in his palm, and completely dissipated the energy by closing his fist.

"Much to learn you still have." Yoshi said with a grin.

"It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force." Mewtwo said as he ignited his weapon. "But by our skills with a lightsaber." Mewtwo held his weapon in a defensive position as he watched Yoshi reveal his own lightsaber. Yoshi hadn't been in a lightsaber duel in hundreds of years, but his last opponent soon wished he had never met the Jedi master. Yoshi's lightsaber skills were once hailed as the finest in the galaxy.

With a warrior cry, Yoshi leaped into battle. Mewtwo slashed at his old Master, but with a series of spins, jumps, flips, and parries only the best in the galaxy could do, he couldn't keep up with Yoshi. Mewtwo started swinging low, but Yoshi was doing spinning jumps that continued to knock Mewtwo's lightsaber back and forth as the Sith tried to keep control. Now Yoshi was on the attack and it was Mewtwo's turn to block. There was no way the Sith could take Master Yoshi, and he knew it. As they locked blades, Mewtwo saw his opportunity to escape, Marth and Link.

"Fought well you have, my old Padawan." Yoshi said.

"This is just the beginning." Mewtwo hissed as he crushed the base of a tower, sending it toppling down towards Marth and Link. Quickly, Yoshi had to allow Mewtwo to escape as he tried to use the force to catch the collapsing tower. Marth saw the danger coming towards him, but noticed it stopped just as Mewtwo's ship had taken off. It hovered to his rear, then dropped.

At this time, Zelda had arrived on another gunship with more troopers, who fired on Mewtwo's ship. However, the ship had escaped unscathed as it disappeared into the sky.

Yoshi force pulled his cane to himself as Marth and Link finally struggled to their feet.

"Link!" Zelda said as she approached him and wrapped her arms around his frame.

* * *

The battle of Titania was over. In the long run, the Clones had won, but at the price of many dead Jedi, another's arm, and two bad wounds on a third.

Mewtwo's ship approached Mute City, but flew to a destroyed and abandoned industrial complex. As the ship landed inside an old hangar, Mewtwo stepped outside and was met by none other than his master, Darth Ganon.

"The Force is with us, master Ganon." Mewtwo said.

"Welcome home, Lord Psychosis." Ganon replied. "You have done well."

"I have good news for you, my lord." Mewtwo said. "The war has begun."

"Excellent." Ganon smiled. "Everything is going as planned."

* * *

Hours later, The Jedi had returned to the temple and were discussing what all had happened. Marth, Falcon, and Yoshi were all in the master's chamber.

"Do you believe what Count Mewtwo said about Ganon controlling the senate?" Marth asked. "It doesn't feel right."

"Joined the dark side, Mewtwo has." Yoshi said. "Lies, deceit, creating mistrust are his ways now."

"Nevertheless, I feel we should keep a closer eye on the senate." Falcon said.

"I agree." Master Yoshi threw in.

"Where is your apprentice?" Falcon asked as he turned to Marth.

"On his way to Hyrule, escorting Senator Zelda home." Marth replied. "I have to admit that without the clones, it would not have been a victory."

"Victory? Victory, you say?" Yoshi asked. "Master Marth, not victory. The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun the Clone War has."

* * *

As the Senate looked out over the sea of clone troopers, back on Hyrule, things were in a lighter mood as Link was doing something completely forbidden in the Jedi order. ROB64 and Mr. Game and Watch looked on as a man of power walked away from Link and Zelda and the two of them touched lips again.

They had just been wed.

Link placed is new robotic arm over Zelda's shoulders as the two of them watched the sun set on Hyrule, ready to take on anything and everything that was thrown in their way, even if they had to keep it a secret while they did so.

END OF EPISODE II


End file.
